NFL fans are ready to turn the page from “offseason” to “preseason,” but there’s still business to attend to. One of those orders of business has to do with the wide receiver market and the players awaiting new contracts.
Talented pass-catchers such as CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers — and then the best of them all, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings — are looking to reset the market, but who will go first? And is it possible that because of the going rate, one could be traded? According to a new report, the Vikings at least considered trading Jefferson on draft night.
“There was buzz at draft time that the Vikings wanted to move from No. 11 to No. 5, not to pick a quarterback but to get LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was picked No. 6 by the Giants,” Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wrote (h/t Pro Football Talk). “Had that trade occurred, Jefferson would have been traded and Nabers would have been the No. 1 receiver.”
Pro Football Talk reported they heard an “unconfirmed rumor” that the Vikings were indeed attempting to trade up to No. 5 overall with the Los Angeles Chargers for Nabers, but decided not to publish the tidbit.
It’s notable that the best wide receiver in the NFL was reportedly almost traded on draft night, especially considering the fact that his situation remains in limbo. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the idea of trading Jefferson had never crossed his mind, while head coach Kevin O’Connell backed him up, saying they had no intention of trading Jefferson.
Like Lamb, Chase and Aiyuk, Jefferson is under contract for 2024. It’s not required that he sign a new deal this offseason, but it’s better for the team to get a deal done sooner rather than later. The wide receiver market has already experienced action this offseason, with Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions signing a four-year deal that reportedly is worth more than $120 million, while A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a three-year extension worth $96 million. Both of those new AAVs surpassed Tyreek Hill’s $30 million per year mark.
Spotrac’s market value tool predicts Jefferson is in line to sign a four-year, $129,979,760 deal that carries an AAV of $32.5 million. Would he agree to that deal? Or is he comfortable to sit back and wait while the market continues to climb?
