Ex-Pro Bowler Fuels Justin Jefferson Trade Rumors Amid Details on Rejected Deal

Minnesota Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is under the microscope.

After allowing Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter, among others, to walk in free agency, Adofo-Mensah’s next big decision looms large: Justin Jefferson.

“The Vikings came close to extending WR Justin Jefferson last offseason,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on X, formerly Twitter, on March 12. “In Indy, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah aggressively rejected the idea of trading the star. Kirk Cousins’ departure hasn’t changed things. The Vikings have no plans to trade Jefferson, sources tell me and @alec_lewis.”

That may be Adofo-Mensah’s stance. But plans change. And at least one former player seems to think there is at least a chance the Vikings trade Jefferson. Where?

“Sources telling me Jefferson to Cincy is in motion,” former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert posted on X, captioning a screenshot of betting odds for the 2024 Super Bowl winner.

Eifert played eight seasons in the NFL, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2015. He last played for the Bengals in 2019 and has not played in the NFL since 2020. He is a DraftKings partner, which is the site Eifert’s screenshot showed

Eifert later offered a one-word response to a report phrasing his previous post as a satire.

“‘Jokes’…?,” Eiftert said, quoting a post from a Bengals site that had presented his previous post as such.

The Bengals notably roster Jefferson’s former college teammates fellow wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow. The latter is most notable following Cousins’ departure to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason.

Some within the Vikings value the idea of pairing Jefferson with LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano on February 10.

Perhaps the Vikings star would find this version of an LSU reunion via trade intriguing.

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Proposed Vikings Trade Swaps Justin Jefferson for $21.8 Million Playmaker

There would be no replacing Jefferson, who has not said or even suggested that he wants a trade. But the historic start to his career has him on track to reset the market for non-quarterbacks on his next contract.

Bengals wideout Tee Higgins has also requested a trade in light of receiving the franchise tag, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on March 12.

Perhaps swapping Jefferson – who will earn $19.7 million on his fifth-year option in 2024 to Higgins at $21.8 million on the franchise tag – for the Bengals wideout and draft picks makes sense for both sides.

This hypothetical Vikings trade scenario could get the deal done.

Vikings get:

– Tee Higgins
– 2024 first-round pick (No. 18 overall)
– 2024 second-round pick (No. 49)
– 2025 third-round pick
– 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 115)
– 2025 fourth-round pick

Bengals get:

– Justin Jefferson

This hypothetical deal mirrors the Kansas City Chiefs‘ trade sending Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins before the 2022 season.

It would get pricey for the Bengals, though.

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Justin Jefferson Rejected $30 Million Contract Extension

The Vikings could always franchise Jefferson themselves after next season. But that runs the risk of alienating the player and souring the locker room. Russini reported in October that Jefferson had rejected the Vikings’ attempts to make him the highest-paid wide receiver.

We now have more details of just what Jefferson turned down.

“I think if the money’s right, he’s gonna sign an extension,” Schefter argued on “NFL Live” on March 12. “It wasn’t before the season when he turned down in excess of $30 million a year.

“And It becomes an organizational decision. And if you’re the Minnesota Vikings, are you gonna pay what it’s gonna take to make Justin Jefferson the highest-paid wide receiver in football? Do you wanna do that right now? Or, do you wanna say, … ‘As much as we love the player, as great as he is, maybe we’re better off starting from scratch here in terms of a quarterback.’”

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