Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Matt Harmon reacts to the wide receiver’s contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings, making him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, and how it affects the contracts of other wideouts in the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL.
Video transcript
Sanity reigns as the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson agree to a four-year, $140 million contract with 100 and 10 million guaranteed.
This makes Justin Jefferson obviously the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
This was always going to happen, but most importantly, he becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, cementing his status as a transformative player.
And that’s really the issue here.
I say showers of sanity because it was just sickening to have to deal with any kind of headlines and rumors and, and tweets of hope that the Vikings might trade, Justin Jefferson.
I mean, give me a break when you find a transformative player like that, you don’t just dangle him in trade offers just because you’re scared to give him a big contract.
You pay players like that.
When you find an elite player, you don’t just let him walk out the door if you’re a well-run franchise.
And I think that’s what the Vikings are here.
So he’s a very good player, he’s elite in every part of the position.
I mean, you really can’t say enough good things about a player like him, that if he continues on his current path, he will eventually become a hall of famer.
You can find good players throughout the draft at wide receiver.
You can’t find transformative players like that, when you find one, you pay one.
Now, that brings me to the last point here, which is CD Lamb and Brandon Iu, two other players in the 2020 class who are seeking contract extensions at the wide receiver position.
These things tend to happen like when one domino falls, the next one falls.
We saw that with Devante Smith on Nico Collins on Jalen Waddle, Aman Rasa Brown there too.
We, we saw that happen at wide receiver this off-season.
Anyway, I think now that Jefferson happens, you know the CD Lamb people can go to Dallas and say, hey, we want this deal, maybe just, maybe just a little less.
And if Dallas is smart, if it’s a well-run franchise, that’s exactly what they’ll give him.
Same thing in San Francisco with Brandon Auk.
Again, I know you can find serviceable wide receivers throughout the NFL draft, but you can’t find true elite, you know, just maybe in Auk’s case, maybe just outside the elite level.
I think Brandon Ayuko is right there.
You can find these guys anywhere in the draft.
You can’t just find players around whom you can build the entire offensive plan.
That’s what we’re talking about with these wide receivers.
And that’s why if these teams are smart, they will pay.
