Vikings lock up Justin Jefferson: Three reasons why Minnesota all but aced 2024 NFL offseason

After much ado, Justin Jefferson is locked up for the long term in Minnesota, with the Vikings signing the wide receiver on Monday to a four-year, $140 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the world. NFL.

The record deal, which ties Jefferson to the Vikings through 2028, not only brings a rich resolution to a much-discussed contract saga, redefining the wide receiver market and keeping one of the premier playmakers where he began his NFL career. It also confirms that Minnesota has effectively made it through the 2024 offseason, at least on paper.

Here are three reasons:

1. They Maintained an Elite Line of Specialized Weapons

By locking up Jefferson (at a perfectly reasonable rate, by the way, considering that fellow wideouts like AJ Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown have recently freed up $30 million a year on their extensions), the Vikings enter 2024 with some of the best — and financially motivated – league point guards. Consider his main offensive talents:

Jones is obviously a one-year rental and Hockenson is recovering from a serious injury, but most teams would kill to have a quartet of that caliber. Jefferson and Addison have the athleticism and proven NFL ability to become arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league. And even Jones, the oldest of the group, has shown game-changing energy late in 2023 and hopes to benefit from a shared backfield in Minnesota.

2. They finally opened up new possibilities at quarterback

You can’t do much with skill arms if you don’t have a signal-caller to dish out the rock, and while the Vikings said goodbye to a proven commodity in Kirk Cousins ​​this off-season, they also opened themselves up to the possibility of greater long-term advantage. The best part: They still have the supporting cast (see above) to help newcomers JJ McCarthy and Sam Darnold deliver results comparable to Cousins ​​right away.

The Vikings are most likely to make the playoffs without Cousins? Maybe not. But as likable and relatively stable as he was, Cousins ​​also led to just a single postseason victory in six expensive years as “the guy.” Which means the ceiling never felt particularly high with him at the center. Darnold has an even brighter track record as a starter, and McCarthy is a projection as a first-round rookie, but after a promising college season as a level-headed play-action sage, the latter could emerge as the figurehead of the team’s offense. Kevin O’Connell sooner or later.

3. They added upside to an already tough defense

Even with attractive unknowns under center and star talent all around, the Vikings won’t make noise in the NFC North if they don’t also win in the trenches. Fortunately, Christian Darrisaw, Dalton Risner and Co. give them a solid front on offense. Meanwhile, on defense, the interior should benefit greatly from a pass-rushing rotation that lost the towering Danielle Hunter but gained a number of younger options, including former Houston Texans standout Jonathan Greenard and first-round rookie Dallas Turner.

Add former Texans linebacker Blake Cashman and former Miami Dolphins rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, and defensive coordinator Brian Flores should have more tools at his disposal after a 2023 debut in which his Vikings often overachieved to keep up. competitive. The secondary is not without its doubts, but along with the offensive talent and the coaching staff led by O’Connell, the Vikings register as one of the most balanced teams in the NFL – so much so that they could very well find themselves immediately back into the playoff picture.