Wide receiver Justin Jefferson said that he isn't worried about not getting a contract extension immediately from the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings are looking to win the NFC North for the second year in a row, but this will be the first time in a long time that Aaron Rodgers won't be in the division. So, the NFC North is virtually wide open this year.
One reason why the Vikings could have the advantage is the presence of wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has shown through his first three years that he is one of the best at his position across the entire NFL. But, he is due to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season and has yet to receive a contract extension.
During training camp practice on Wednesday, Jefferson said that he isn't worried about getting a contract extension just yet. Instead, he's focused on being with his teammates and winning the Super Bowl.
The video comes courtesy of KSTP's Alec Ausmus.
Justin Jefferson isn't worried about not getting a contract extension from the Vikings just yet
"That's not the worries that I have right now, it's really all about winning a Super Bowl, just getting the wins and being with my team," said Jefferson. "The contract is going to play itself, I'm just out here to play football."
Jefferson isn't worried right now. While he is focused on the upcoming season, the Vikings do have time to get it done. He is under contract for this upcoming season, but they also picked up his fifth-year option for the 2024 season, in which he will get paid $19.7 million.
But with how the market is going, the price tag for wide receivers will only increase. In terms of annual average salary, Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins leads the way with $30 million per season (via Spotrac). Behind Hill are Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders ($28 million), Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams ($26.7 million), A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles ($25 million), D.K. Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks ($24 million) and Stefon Diggs of the Buffalo Bills ($24 million). All of those contracts were given out recently, so the Vikings should be worried about the likely rising price tag.
For Jefferson, he could hypothetically break the mark set by Hill. Sure, he has played in just three years, but he picked up 1,000 receiving yards and a Pro Bowl nomination in each. Then there was this past season when he led the league with 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards. For those numbers, Jefferson earned the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year award.
Jefferson is confident that a deal will get done, but he's not worried about it just yet.