Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has signed the highest-paid non-quarterback contract in NFL history, sealing a four-year $140m extension which includes $110m guaranteed.
The 24-year-old previously turned down a deal which would have paid him over $28m annually the day before the 2023 season started.
Jefferson announced the news himself on social media, quelling any Minnesota worries by confirming he finally signed “the deal I have been waiting for since I was a little kid.” The Vikings confirmed the news soon after.
“Something that once was a dream is now my reality. There are so many people that I can sit here and thank but you all know who you are that helped me along the way. But we ain’t stopping here…There’s more to be done,” Jefferson tweeted.
Since being selected by the Vikings with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, Jefferson has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns.
The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, Jefferson has averaged 98.3 receiving yards per game – the most in NFL history for any career span – and his average of 6.5 catches per game is the second highest of any receiver in his first four seasons.
