It's time for Vikings to put money where mouth is on Justin Jefferson
Before the draft, the situation for the Vikings and star receiver Justin Jefferson was simple. Pay him, or trade him to someone who will.
Now that the trade window has closed (for now), the Vikings need to pay him.
Recent comments from G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah suggest that they will indeed pay him. But past comments from Adofo-Mensah created that same vibe. They still haven't paid him.
It really would be easy to do a deal, given Adofo-Mensah's past admission that Jefferson should be paid like a top non-quarterback. 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa currently holds that title, at $34 million per year in new money. So, four years, $122.043 million. First three years, fully guaranteed.
That's new money of $34.1 million per year. Done deal today.
During the draft, Adofo-Mensah said, among other things, that the Vikings want Jefferson to get his deal at a time when he can have the spotlight to himself. Did the Eagles think that with A.J. Brown? Did the Lions think that with Amon-Ra St. Brown? Both got market-altering deals last week that won't make it any cheaper to sign Jefferson.
The price NEVER goes down. Whatever it would have been last September, when Jefferson supposedly rejected $30 million per year, it will be higher now. And it will keep going up. And up. And up.
So do it now, Vikings. Do it today. The time for anger, denial, bargain, and depression are over. It's time to accept that the price is high and keeps going up.
Stop the bleeding. Start the typing. Make it happen.
