Justin Jefferson, Vikings reportedly fail to reach agreement on extension
Justin Jefferson will enter the 2023 season without a new contract.
The star wide receiver and the Minnesota Vikings weren't able to come to terms on an extension ahead of Saturday's self-imposed deadline, ESPN reported. The two sides will reportedly resume contract talks in the offseason.
Jefferson is under contract for the 2024 season, but that's the fifth-year option and the final year of his rookie deal. Like other members of the 2020 draft class, he became eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and the two sides reportedly negotiated an extension in hopes of getting a deal done prior to the start of the regular season.
Jefferson has been one of the game's best receivers ever since the Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He earned second-team All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons before winning Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, recording 128 receptions for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns.
As many of the players drafted with Jefferson in 2020, he has reportedly believed that his next contract will reset the market for wide receivers. Tyreek Hill received the biggest contract for a receiver in NFL history upon his trade to the Dolphins in 2022, earning a four-year, $120 million deal with $72 million guaranteed.