Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is expected to collect more than $30 million annually on his next contract, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler reported one hangup for Jefferson and some of his peers is the amount of guaranteed money in the deal.
Fowler cited Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill to illustrate his point. The 2024 season is the last in which the eight-time Pro Bowler is due to collect guaranteed cash. While unlikely, the Dolphins have a straightforward path to cutting him in 2025 or 2026 if they want.
It’s the same story for Davante Adams, who penned what was then a record-setting contract with the Las Vegas Raiders before Hill quickly reset the market.
When both the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown and Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown are getting $30-plus million a year, that’s pretty much the baseline for Jefferson given his production to date. The 24-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler with the highest career receiving average (98.3 yards per game) so far.
With Jefferson, the question is how much higher he might elevate the current price for elite pass-catchers. Is a $35 million annual salary attainable? What about $40 million?
Fowler’s report presents some necessary context for the conversation.
Perhaps Jefferson’s contract comes in a little lower than expectations in terms of the total value and average salary but includes more guarantees.
Going back to Hill, his Dolphins contract came with a $120 million price tag, but just $72.2 million of that was guaranteed. St. Brown’s Lions extension wasn’t structured much different as he’s collecting $77 million of his $120 million payout in guarantees.
For Jefferson, the way in which he leads the way for other receivers might be less in the more popular metrics and instead with the minute details.
