Did the Minnesota actually get themselves a superstar, wide receiver bargain?
In June, the Vikings made Jefferson the highest paid NFL player at his position with a four-year $140M deal.
Jefferson has dominated the NFL with the Vikings
Receiver contracts were signed across the summer – before and after Jefferson – not one bigger though, reflecting his status as a player who has reset the market.
With the Vikings back in London – where they are a perfect 3-0 – and defend their perfect 4-0 start to the 2024 season, Jefferson’s teammate, Harrison Phillips, believes they have bargain.
In an exclusive sitdown with talkSPORT, he says that in his eyes, the 25-year-old LSU graduate is still the “most under-paid player in the league.”
Jefferson’s introduction to life in the NFL supports Phillips’ claim with the offensive weapon matching – or besting – some of the all-time greats through the first four seasons of his professional career.
Jefferson has amassed a staggering 6,257 yards in 61 career starts, more than 100 yards per game, while earning Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three seasons in Minnesota. Last season, despite being plagued by injury, Jefferson still managed to top 1000 receiving yards in just 10 games.
This offseason saw the biggest change in Jefferson’s young career as quarterback Kirk Cousins departed for Atlanta, replaced by former New York Jet Sam Darnold.
Despite fears over the strength of this offense without Cousins, the Vikings are perfect, Darnold was selected as the NFC’s September Player of the Month and Jefferson has picked up where he left off with 358 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2024 – one of those a 97-yard house call against the San Francisco 49ers.
Phillips outlined what makes Jefferson such a dominant force.
“He’s just a competitor,” Phillips explained. “He has that switch that goes on on gameday and he’s just a different beast when the game comes on.
“You hear about that with players who are absolutely elite and I haven’t been around a more impressive person, really in my life. It’s insane to see what he does out on those fields on Sundays, and I still think he’s like the most under-paid player in the league.”
The Vikings will look to continue their hugely impressive start when they take on the Jets in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
In a crowded NFC North that includes two of last season’s playoff teams – the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers – as well as a revamped Chicago Bears led by number one overall pick Caleb Williams, the Vikings weren’t expected to contend, let alone dominate this year.
Yet, one month into the season, the Vikings find themselves 4-0, beating the Packers at Lambeau Field last weekend to keep their unbeaten start going.