The Vikings and receiver Justin Jefferson currently do not have a long-term deal. It’s been a long, slow process, with lots of twists and turns.
There are three major outside events that can become practical deadlines for getting something done: (1) mandatory minicamp, which starts on Tuesday; (2) Training camp begins in late June; and (3) the start of the regular season.
Obviously, the quicker the deal is completed, the better prepared Jefferson will be for the 2024 season. With a new quarterback, the Vikings need one. Given the basic reality that waiting will never make it cheaper, it makes sense to do it now.
Even if that happens today or tomorrow, that doesn’t mean the Vikings haven’t explored their options. They could have easily traded him to any of several teams. Although some seem like that Throw a little tantrum Because of that, many people have heard about the efforts the Vikings made to achieve this Trade up to No. 5 in the draft to get Malik Nebras To be ignored.
Once the window closed on the possibility of acquiring Nabers and then trading Jefferson, the team’s only move was to deny that the possibility was ever possible. Those who directly depend on the team for access, cooperation, and getting scoops would be wise to toe the party line. Again, the only real journalism that happens in this space (as Jay Glazer told me years ago) is finding out things they don’t want us to know.
Regardless of whether the Vikings tried to get Nappers, they got Jefferson. They seem to be coming to terms with the cost of keeping him. Money and structure are the main factors. Time will tell whether that happens this week, next month, or just before Week 1, when the Vikings become the first NFL team to face the Nabers.
Our guess is that it will be before the first week. And faster than the start of camp. Honestly tomorrow.
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