Adam Schefter, ESPN Senior Writer
The Minnesota Vikings and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson have agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract extension with $110 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN. The deal makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
The deal, negotiated by WME Football, includes $88.743 million to sign. The Vikings said Monday morning that Jefferson had agreed to an extension through the 2028 season, but did not disclose financial terms.
“The time has finally come. The deal I’ve been waiting for since I was a little girl,” Jefferson said. Video posted on Instagram. “I’ve been doubting my whole career. Not being a top recruit. Not being the first receiver off the draft board. This whole journey has not been easy for me. … To be gifted to play football at the highest level. It’s a blessing.”
“We are thrilled that Jefferson has secured this contract and will be with the Minnesota Vikings for the long term,” Vikings owners Mark and Ziggy Wilf said in a statement.
“Since arriving in Minnesota, Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL both on and off the field and we are excited to have him as a long-term cornerstone of our team,” said Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. “He is the living embodiment of our culture in his joyful commitment to the process and our goals. We couldn’t be happier for Justin and his family.”
In an Instagram video, Jefferson thanked his parents, brothers, agent and the Vikings’ front office staff, coaches and fans.
“You set the tone. You set the mood. I set the power,” Jefferson said in the video. “And I’m very happy to prepare the force for another five years. It’s a start, but we’re not done yet. Stay tuned.”
A day before the start of the 2023 season, Jefferson turned down a contract offer from the Vikings that would have paid him more than $28 million a year. The three-time Pro Bowler instead bet on himself and the bet paid off with Jefferson’s four-year extension averaging $35 million per season. That average annual value is $1 million more than the previous non-quarterback record held by San Francisco 49ers pass-rusher Nick Bosa.
League sources said there were several teams asking for a trade for Jefferson this offseason. But the Vikings let it be known that they had no intention of trading Jefferson, who is each a historic four-year starter in the NFL.
Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL scouting combine earlier this year that trading Jefferson never crossed his mind — even though it helped him trade for a quarterback in the draft.
“We think he’s the best wide receiver in the league and he should be compensated as such,” Adofo-Mensah said at the time. “We think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league and we think he should be compensated as such.”
As the 22nd overall pick by the Vikings in the 2020 draft, Jefferson has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Jefferson, the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, averaged 98.3 receiving yards per game — the most for any career in NFL history — and averaged 6.5 touchdowns per game through his first four seasons, the second-highest of any receiver.
“Justin is an exceptional player and an incredible person that I have the honor of coaching and captaining,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement. “His positive energy and passion for the game is evident every day as he works to become the best at his craft. As coaches, we will do our part to help him maximize his potential. To the Wilfs, Kwesi” Thank you Rob Brzezinski, and our staff for one of the brightest stars in professional sports, who will continue his career with the Minnesota Vikings.
Jefferson, who turns 25 this month, will now lead the Vikings into their next generation of offense after replacing quarterback Kirk Cousins with free agent Sam Darnold and first-round draft pick JJ McCarthy this offseason.
Jefferson repeatedly supported Cousins’ return last year but has not said whether he will re-sign with the Vikings. He has not publicly commented on Cousins’ departure or the decision to acquire Darnold and McCarthy. But McCarthy said Jefferson, who is widely known around the team, texted him shortly after the draft.
Jefferson set the NFL record for receiving yards in his first three seasons (4,825) and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in 2023 despite missing seven games (and parts of two others) due to injury. His 1,074 yards in 2023 are the most ever by an NFL player who played 10 or fewer games in a season.
Jefferson was the fifth receiver selected in the 2020 draft and was the timely replacement for Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills a month ago. Some teams believed Jefferson was limited to one position, but the Vikings viewed him as an all-around receiver when they took him No. 22 overall.
In an in-house video that quickly went viral, then-GM Rick Spielman was seen laughing when the Philadelphia Eagles took receiver Jalen Regour at No. 21, clearing the way for the Vikings to select Jefferson.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.