Record-setting wide receiver Justin Jefferson now has a historic contract to match.
Jefferson agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension with the Minnesota Vikings, according to ESPN, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
It includes $110 million in guarantees.
Jefferson’s new $35 million annual salary exceeds the $34 million-per-year deal the San Francisco 49ers gave to star pass rusher Nick Bosa last offseason.
“Something that once was a dream is now my reality,” Jefferson wrote Monday on Instagram, shortly before the Vikings announced the extension. “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.”
Drafted 22nd overall by Minnesota in 2020, the sure-handed Jefferson boasts 392 receptions, 5,899 receiving yards and 30 touchdown catches over his first four seasons. He won Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, when he led the NFL with 128 receptions and 1,809 yards.
Jefferson recorded at least 1,400 receiving yards and earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first three seasons. Last year, he still managed 1,074 receiving yards despite missing seven games with a hamstring strain.
His career average of 98.3 receiving yards per game is the highest in NFL history.
“Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field, and we are excited about having him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time to come,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement.
Jefferson’s extension again resets the wide receiver market a little over a month after Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million extension ($32 million annually) that had made him the highest-paid player at the position.
Miami’s Tyreek Hill and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown both earn average annual salaries of $30 million.
Jefferson’s deal ends a drawn-out saga in which the star reportedly turned down a contract averaging $28 million per year in 2023. The Vikings did not entertain trade discussions from teams that reached out about Jefferson, according to ESPN.
The 24-year-old Jefferson provides an elite target for whomever the Vikings start at quarterback this season. After Kirk Cousins left in the offseason for the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota signed former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year contract and drafted Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick.
Jefferson headlines a talented Minnesota offense that also features wide receiver Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw.