Minnesota Vikings Set To Trade The Sensational Ace to Las Vegas Raiders as the 2024 NFL Draft Deadline Approaches
The Minnesota Vikings are currently locked into a dramatic contract situation with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Some believe a deal will get done between the two sides, but others think the situation is destined for a divorce. It appears that the Vikings were very open to the idea of moving on from Jefferson earlier this offseason.
According to a report from Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press, the Vikings tried to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft to get Malik Nabers. If they had been able to pull off that trade, Jefferson would have been traded.
“There was buzz at draft time that the Vikings wanted to move from No. 11 to No. 5, not to pick a QB but to get LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was picked No. 6 by the [New York] Giants. Had that trade occurred, Jefferson would have been traded and Nabers would have been the No. 1 receiver.”
Talk about a massive report to make at this point in the offseason. One has to wonder if this will impact the contract discussions even more moving forward.
What’s Next For The Minnesota Vikings And Justin Jefferson?
Now the question becomes, can the Vikings and Jefferson figure something out long-term? At this point in time, it seems to be a tossup. This report does seem to hint at Minnesota not wanting to pay up for Jefferson.
However, the fact that the Minnesota Vikings were unable to get another No. 1 wideout could have changed everything. Even with Jordan Addison on the roster, they would have a hard time replacing Jefferson.
During the 2023 season with the Vikings, Jefferson struggled through injury issues and only played in just 10 games. He racked up 68 receptions for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns in those 10 games.
Needless to say, those numbers are impressive for any player while also missing seven games.
Looking ahead at the future, one can only hope that the Minnesota Vikings and Jefferson can work out a new deal. Him playing anywhere other than Minnesota would be strange. He’s the face of the franchise and young quarterback J.J. McCarthy could really use an elite star like Jefferson.
It will be interesting to see if the Vikings end up being willing to pay close to quarterback money to keep arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. We haven’t seen a wide receiver demanding that kind of money before. Stay tuned to find out what comes next in this situation and we will have all the new updates as they become available.
