Vikings WR Justin Jefferson on next contract: ‘I want to break the bank’
Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. ((Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson made the rounds on radio row at the Super Bowl on Wednesday, and he made it clear he wants a new contract.
Speaking with Adam Schein on SiriusXM Radio, Jefferson says he wants to stay in Minnesota. He also wants a new deal that would likely make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
"I want to break the bank and I want to be a part of an organization that wants me and to really give me what I deserve. I feel like eventually the Vikings will do what they need to do to have me in the building, but I don’t really know at this very moment," Jefferson said. "Only time will tell, I feel like I have the right people in my circle to negotiate and do what’s right. I feel like this whole process of how we handled things and how we went accordingly with the season and the contract stuff, I feel like we did a great job with it."
Jefferson and the Vikings were close to a deal before Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it didn’t get done. Jefferson will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2024 and is due to make $19.7 million.
Despite missing seven games with a hamstring injury, Jefferson had 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns. In four seasons with the Vikings, Jefferson has 397 catches for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns in 57 starts. He was a Pro Bowl pick in each of his first three seasons, and was First-Team All-Pro in 2022 after his 128 catches and 1,809 yards led the NFL.
When he does get his next contract, it will be a long-term deal and likely require north of $30 million per season. Jefferson said he's not sure what will happen if the deal is not with the Vikings. They took him with the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL Draft, acquired in the trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills.
"I’m definitely grateful for what Minnesota has done for me. I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation if they didn’t pick me. With everything that has happened and everything I gave for the organization, of course I would want to stay," Jefferson said.