Jefferson wants to sign extension with Vikings but it's 'all up to them'

Justin Jefferson reiterated Thursday that he wants to sign a contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings as soon as possible, but the superstar receiver isn't sure if it's going to happen before the team's season opener Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Of course I would want a contract to be done," Jefferson said, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "But at the end of the day, it is all up to them and what the ownership wants to do with that."

Jefferson wouldn't reveal whether his representatives would stop negotiating a long-term deal when the regular season kicks off.

"I'm in a different situation," Jefferson added. "I've done something that no one has ever done in the history of the game. So my situation is a little bit different than everyone else's. Of course, I'm going into my fourth year, trying to talk about contract two years early. There's so many different parts that go in towards it. That's why I leave it up to my agent and just keep my mindset on the field."

Jefferson has two years left on his rookie contract, which includes a base salary of $2.4 million in 2023. The 24-year-old is expected to reset the market among receivers when he signs a new deal. Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins tops the position with a $30-million average annual salary. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback after signing an extension this week that will reportedly pay him $34 million annually.

Jefferson has put on a show since Minnesota selected him 22nd overall in 2020. The LSU product led the NFL with 128 catches and 1,809 yards in 2022 en route to claiming the Offensive Player of the Year award.

The three-time Pro Bowler's 4,825 receiving yards are the most in NFL history in the first three years of a player's career.

Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.