Latest NFL news shows how lucky the Minnesota Vikings are with Justin Jefferson
It’s getting crazy at this point.
When the Minnesota Vikings signed wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a four-year contract extension worth $140 million in June of 2024, it was a massive deal at the time, including being the largest contract ever for a non-quarterback.
When the Vikings signed the contract, it spiked the wide receiver market by $5 million. It was a pretty massive deal at the time for the market to increase by that much, but we saw the same thing happen with edge rusher this past year, with Micah Parsons getting $46.5 million, and T.J. Watt having already gotten $41 million.
Justin Jefferson is a bargain
Monday morning brought news of a contract extension of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is now set to make $42.15 million average annual value in new money.
This move keeps Smith-Njigba in Seattle for the next six seasons for approximately $195.17 million. It’s a smart move to get him signed early, as it allows the Seahawks to extend the money across multiple seasons and keeping the salary cap hits under control.
The big thing with this deal is simple: Jefferson is becoming more of a bargain. On an average annual value basis, Smith-Njigba’s new money is 20.4% more than what Jefferson is getting. While he’s a very good receiver, Smith-Njigba isn’t on the level of Jefferson.
Despite having a down statistical year, Jefferson is still the best wide receiver in the NFL. He is explosive and nuanced in his route running while also being an excellent player at the catch point. Whatever you ask him to do, he can do it with gusto.
What makes Jefferson so good is how well he produces with teams shifting their coverages toward him on nearly every play. He’s proven to be a dominant force in essentially every situation.
Right now, Jefferson is proving to be a humongous bargain, and he will continue to be so until the Vikings give him another extension.
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