Recent reports suggest that the Minnesota Vikings may not consider Justin Jefferson a cornerstone of their franchise, raising questions about the team’s relationship with the star wide receiver. Notably, the Vikings have yet to extend Jefferson’s contract before his fifth season in the league.
The Minnesota Vikings wanted Malik Nabers
According to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Vikings expressed interest in trading up to select LSU prospect Malik Nabers. Allegedly, had the Vikings drafted Nabers, they were open to the possibility of trading Justin Jefferson.
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. Had that trade occurred, Jefferson would have been traded and Nabers would have been the No. 1 receiver.”
Mike Florio from NBC Sports reported rumors suggesting the Vikings were interested in trading up for Malik Nabers. However, Florio’s team was unable to confirm the rumor, and they did not come across any information indicating that the Vikings were prepared to trade Justin Jefferson if they selected Nabers.
It doesn’t seem like the Vikings have a choice but to extend Jefferson after taking a quarterback with the No. 11 pick after being unable to trade up for Nabers. The Vikings must put all their eggs in J.J. McCarthy’s basket. McCarthy is going to need receivers like Jefferson and Jordan Addison to be successful in Minnesota.
The Vikings continue to labor on negotiations with Jefferson at their own peril. They risk jeopardizing the McCarthy era if they can’t extend Jefferson or if his price tag continues to climb higher.
