On the Vikings and Justin Jefferson agreeing on a four-year, $140M contract extension today:
Don Ness – "Franchises are defined by generational talents. Page, Tarkenton, Carter, Randall, etc. Jefferson has the potential to be one of the all-time greats. As a fan, I want the Vikings to do everything they can to ensure Jefferson is a lifelong Viking. It’s also the greatest gift they can give to a young quarterback: let him throw to the best receiver in the league for the next five seasons."
Fred Friedman – "Vikings had to sign JJ to a long-term contract. He is too good to let go, especially on a team with so many needs and a long history of draft mistakes. Jefferson is not (Randy) Moss and not (Stefon) Diggs. This is a superstar on and off the field. Now let’s improve the interior offensive line, and sign some free agents who can stay healthy and produce."
Mike Zagelmeyer – "The contract had to probably be done for the coach and the GM to keep their jobs. I was fine with blowing the whole thing up and getting a haul of draft picks for Jefferson. I just hope we don’t end up with a petulant receiver as we wait for (J.J.) McCarthy to evolve. McCarthy growing into being QB1 could take a while in my opinion – if it even truly comes to fruition."
Tom Elwell – "Great news that WR J Jefferson will be the cornerstone and star of the new look Vikings for next few years. Hopefully, the new Vikings quarterback will find him on the field. I'll bet he will. In the meantime, will former Viking QB Cousins win the starting job in Atlanta? Or will he eventually lose it to their number one draft pick, J. J. McCarthy or veteran Sam Darnold, the pretty good veteran quarterback who never got a chance? Regardless who ends up as the new Vikings quarterback, they will have the best receiver in the NFL to pass to."
Brian Prudhomme – "The Vikings did what had to be done, and frankly gave Jefferson what he has earned. The team is undoubtedly trying to build a young core on both sides of the ball. Expecting immediate success might be asking a lot, but given the financial freedom the future should hold even after this contract, it’s an exciting time to be a Vikings fan.”
Arik Forsman – "Justin Jefferson and Anthony Edwards: how lucky are MN sports fans to get to watch these two generational athletes in their prime for years to come. Now let’s hope this new generation of dynamic superstars produce more championships than Randy Moss and Kevin Garnett."
Steve Korby – "Jefferson can change games with electric, spell-binding catches. Everyone in Minnesota wanted him to stay and would have not forgiven the Vikings had he left or been let go. Hurrah. Thanks, Ziggi and all.
Steve Battaglia – "Jefferson is a game changer and we had to do what it takes to keep him."
Pete Waggoner – "The Vikings signed a player that never whined about a contract extension, Justin Jefferson didn’t hold out, he didn’t take it to social media. Jefferson was a pro during it and focused on his game. That focus rewarded him in the end. While the Vikings had to make some difficult decisions, they put themselves into a space where they could offer record-breaking money to a player who is the face of the franchise. As we know, offense wins games and defense wins championships. Let’s hope the team can find the balance it has sought on both sides of the ball for years. It certainly seems as though this current management team understands that balance. They have a ton of cap space moving forward, even with this extension, and cap flexibility has been the plan of Kwesi Adofo-Mensa since day one when he became the Vikings general manager. Despite being set back with a hamstring strain in week 5 last year, Jefferson has amassed more yards than any receiver in history with 5,899. He was overlooked as a high school recruit and even in the draft. It has fueled his desire to be the best; some players talk about it, and this player does it."
