Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters wrote that the Minnesota Vikings could make Justin Jefferson available for trade. The 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year reportedly seeks a contract worth $150 million.
If this speculation pushes through, the Vikings will get a massive haul of picks in return. After all, Jefferson is among the best wide receivers in the league since Minnesota drafted him 22nd overall in 2020.
There is "steam" that the #Vikings could make WR Justin Jefferson available via trade, per @Charley_Walters pic.twitter.com/r8aLroBG2e
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 25, 2024
To highlight his excellence, the former LSU standout reached 1,000 receiving yards even if he missed seven regular season games due to a hamstring injury. Jefferson finished with 1,074 yards and five touchdowns for a 107.4 yards-per-game average.
However, he already made his mark starting his rookie season, when he established a then-record 1,400 receiving yards, passing Anquan Boldin’s previous rookie record of 1,387. Ja’Marr Chase broke the record (1,455) in 2021, while Puka Nacua established a new mark (1,486) last season.
But Jefferson is just getting started because he had 1,616 yards and ten touchdowns in his second year with the Vikings. He became the NFL’s top offensive player in 2022 with 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns.
Before the 2023 season, Justin Jefferson set his sights on becoming the first NFL player to finish with 2,000 receiving yards in a season. Unfortunately, he missed an NFL game for the first time in his career. He sat out six more games, leading to lower numbers.
But when healthy, he is an unstoppable threat on the outside, especially against man coverage. Any team can have his services once the Vikings make trade offers for Jefferson official. Since they are losing their best offensive player, Minnesota will be looking for a king’s ransom to revamp their roster quickly.
-Lance Fernandez