Getty Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings had early designs on a trade up in the 2024 draft. Their sights were on former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drew a line in the sand in talks with the New England Patriots, Breer wrote, standing on his principle of having “walkaway prices” in trade negotiations.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that price never included star wideout Justin Jefferson.
Asked by “Pat McAfee Show” co-host “Boston Connor” Campbell what the best offer the Patriots received was, Schefter offered a quick retort before shutting down any potential trade rumors about the three-time All-Star.
“Connor wants me to say the Vikings offered Justin Jefferson to get up to No. 3,” Schefter said on the show on April 29. “No, they did not. They offered various pick packages to get up there. The Vikings had the most discussions with the Patriots. … Clearly, the Patriots were determined to stick where they were.”
Minimize regret.
Reports surfaced leading up to the draft that the offers New England was receiving were “laughable,” per MassLive’s Mark Daniels on April 23.
But Breer’s previous reporting backs Schefter’s comments.
“The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants did make offers to the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick to take Drake Maye,” Breer wrote on April 26. “Earlier this week, Minnesota offered the Nos. 11 and 23 picks, and its 2025 first-rounder, with pick swaps favoring the Vikings as part of the proposal; and that offer ticked up with New England on the clock.
“The Vikings … were emboldened to draw a line in the sand on trade terms.”
Schefter relayed an exchange with an anonymous source within the Patriots organization. The latter party said there was “zero chance” of a trade getting done with the Vikings or any other team. This was mere hours before the draft.
Vikings Urged to Pay Justin Jefferson After Missing Trade Window
Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings.
That is just one piece of the puzzle surrounding Jefferson, though. The star playmaker is on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract too.
The situation has led to calls for Adofo-Mensah to take action.
“Before the draft, the situation for the Vikings and star receiver Justin Jefferson was simple. Pay him, or trade him to someone who will,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on April 29. “Now that the trade window has closed (for now), the Vikings need to pay him.
“Recent comments from G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah suggest that they will indeed pay him. But past comments from Adofo-Mensah created that same vibe. They still haven’t paid him.”
Florio suggests the Vikings offer Jefferson a four-year, $122.043 million pact.
“It really would be easy to do a deal, given Adofo-Mensah’s past admission that Jefferson should be paid like a top non-quarterback. 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa currently holds that title, at $34 million per year in new money,” Florio wrote. “First three years, fully guaranteed.
“That’s new money of $34.1 million per year. Done deal today.”
Justin Jefferson Wants to ‘Break the Bank’
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Florio notes that the cost of doing this kind of business “NEVER goes down.” He pointed to deals for Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles. Jefferson also rejected an offer that would have paid him $30 million annually.
Jefferson is eyeing a significant payday.
The Vikings will have the cap space to pay him, though. It’s just a matter of getting the deal worked out as the wideout leaves fans to speculate.
“I want to break the bank, and I want to be a part of an organization that wants me and to really give me what I deserve,” Jefferson said on “Mad Dog Sports Radio” on February 7. “I feel like eventually the Vikings will do what they need to do to have me in the building, but I don’t really know at this very moment. Only time will tell.
“I feel like I have the right people in my circle to negotiate and do what’s right, and I feel like this whole process of how we handle things and how we went accordingly with the season and the contract stuff, I feel like we did a great job with it.”
Jefferson said he wanted to remain with the Vikings. He also hadn’t thought about what would happen if the Vikings don’t give him the extension he seeks.