Vikings' Justin Jefferson reportedly wants to be paid like some QBs

One day after it was learned that Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was absent from the start of organized team activities, NFL reporter Armando Salguero of OutKick offered an update on the type of contract extension Jefferson wants to land before September. 

"One source said Jefferson wants to be paid like some quarterbacks," Salguero said for a piece published Tuesday. "At one point in the negotiation, he wanted to reach the $40M per year mark on an annual average, according to the source. It's unclear if that is still where the talks are centered. Jefferson also wants to do a deal that includes fully guaranteed money that is at or close to $100M, another source told OutKick."

It was previously believed that Jefferson, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, simply wanted to become the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback at some point this offseason. 

Salguero indicated that Jefferson's camp instead may be using deals previously signed by signal-callers such as Daniel Jones of the New York Giants and Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons to set the 24-year-old's market. 

Jones inked a four-year contract that could be worth up to $160M in March 2023. Earlier this offseason, Cousins received a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M guaranteed to leave the Vikings for the Falcons.

According to Salguero and StatMuse, Jefferson's 5,899 career receiving yards are the most in league history through a player’s first four campaigns. That's impressive considering Jefferson missed seven games because of a hamstring injury last season. 

While Jefferson was the subject of some trade rumors before Minnesota made Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy the 10th overall pick of this year's draft, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confidently declared as recently as last week that "everything's going to get worked out" regarding the receiver's contract status. 

Assuming McCarthy develops into a full-time QB1 at some point between now and next summer while he's on his inexpensive rookie contract, the Vikings should possess enough salary-cap space to spread cap hits related to a Jefferson extension across the next several seasons. 

Salguero added that "neither side hopes" Jefferson will risk being fined by skipping the mandatory minicamp scheduled to run from June 4 through June 6. 

Per Adam Patrick of FanSided's The Viking Age, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said on Tuesday that he believes Jefferson will at least report for the mandatory minicamp.