Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is entering his fifth season in the NFL and has quickly established himself as one of the top receivers in the league. With that stellar performance comes the desire for a new contract, and with that comes the inevitable contract dispute.
That’s where the team and the talented receiver find themselves now, with Jefferson wanting a new contract but with no agreement having been reached yet — which means Jefferson has taken the ‘skip voluntary workouts‘ approach to contract negotiations.
The move, however, seems to be little more than a hiccup to head coach Kevin O’Connell, as he stated Monday that he’s “had a lot of great dialogue with Justin” and that they “hope we can get him around the team”.
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson isn't at voluntary offseason workouts, but head coach Kevin O'Connell continues to have dialogue with the star wide receiver. #SKOL pic.twitter.com/gUZDaytYZT
— SKOR North – Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) April 15, 2024
Jefferson has certainly earned the right to advocate for a new contract with his play with the Vikings over the past four seasons. He’s been one of the most productive wide receivers in NFL history through his first four seasons. Perhaps most impressive in the growing laundry list of achievements is what Jefferson accomplished last season.
Despite missing seven games throughout the season and dealing with all the turmoil at quarterback, Jefferson still managed to top 100 yards receiving in five games and put up a 1,000-yard season.
With production like that, it’s clear that Jefferson is an integral part of the Vikings offense, and he has more than earned the right to be paid like one of the top players at his position. It’s also clear that Jefferson is going to produce regardless of his surroundings, and has earned the right to skip out on voluntary workouts. The Vikings brass seems unconcerned about his absence, and fans shouldn’t be, either.