3 Minnesota Vikings who won't be back in years to come after Justin Jefferson deal

The clock was ticking for the Minnesota Vikings. Their star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, was set to become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season, and he let his intentions be known about breaking the bank. The pressure was on, especially after fellow wide receivers A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jaylen Waddle each received lucrative contract extensions.

On Monday, Vikings fans were rewarded by receiving an update that the team and Jefferson had agreed to terms on a new contract. The extension is for four years, worth a total of $140 million, with $110 million being guaranteed. With an annual salary of $35 million, Jefferson officially became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

This was a huge win for the Vikings, as they ensured their superstar is under contract through the 2028 season. Not only that, but Jefferson will be able to hit the open market again at the age of 30, and potentially cash-in on another deal. It was a win-win for both sides.

While that is all well and good, that does put the Vikings in a position to let some players walk in free agency. Considering that Jefferson is under contract for the next five seasons, let's look at some players in the short- and long-term who could be sent packing, due in part to the wide receiver's salary.

3. Sam Darnold, QB

This offseason, the Vikings faced the likelihood that quarterback Kirk Cousins, who had been with the team since 2018, could leave for free agency. That became a reality after Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. One of their first moves to replace Cousins was to sign former New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year deal worth $10 million.

Signing Darnold was step one, as he was brought in to be a bridge to the rookie the Vikings would inevitably draft. By holding two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, Minnesota was going to end up with a rookie signal caller, and sure enough, it was Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.

This past season, it was evident the importance of having a quality, starting-caliber backup on the quarterback depth chart after all of the injuries. The Vikings know this first-hand after Cousins tore his Achilles mid-season, and the Vikings just missed out on the playoffs. On the flip side, the Cleveland Browns watched Deshaun Watson suffer a season-ending shoulder injury, and Joe Flacco's strong play helped lead the franchise to the playoffs.

For now, Darnold is expected to be the starter entering 2024 unless McCarthy really impresses head coach Kevin O'Connell during training camp. While Darnold didn't pan out with the Jets (much like other quarterback options), he did show promise with the Panthers, especially in his second season with the team. That 2022 season, Darnold threw for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions while holding a 4-2 win-loss record as a starter that year.

If McCarthy does pan out in his rookie season, Darnold could very well be shown the door. As we have seen, having a starting-caliber backup quarterback isn't cheap. Having a huge chunk of cap space allotted to Jefferson could prevent the Vikings from doing that in the future. With that, Darnold could be out after one year regardless.

2. Aaron Jones, RB

Last offseason, the Vikings moved on from running back Dalvin Cook, opting instead to run with Alexander Mattison. The pivot didn't exactly pan out, as the team traded for Cam Akers early in the season, who went on to tear his Achilles. After the 2023 season, the Vikings released Mattison from his contract.

To fill the void, Minnesota took advantage of a move made by the rival Green Bay Packers. After signing Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract, the Packers released veteran Aaron Jones. It took one day for the Vikings to swoop in and sign him to a one-year, $7 million contract.

Last year, Jones missed six games due to a hamstring injury. Even so, Jones showed that he can still make an impact on the team. Jones finished the regular season with 656 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 142 carries. But in the playoffs, Jones notably ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round and picked up 108 yards on 18 carries in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers.

If Jones can be productive and not miss any time due to injury, he could set himself up well in free agency. Yes, Jones will hit the open market at 30 years old next year, but he could earn a $7 million annual salary or more. Let's not forget that Derrick Henry is earning $8 million per season on a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, and he just turned 30.

Given that a large chunk of Minnesota's cap space will be dedicated to Jefferson, it would be hard to justify giving around $7 million per year or more to a running back. For the Vikings, they may very well benefit from using a future draft pick on a college prospect.

1. Jordan Addison, WR

Now, we are looking well into the future. As we have seen this offseason, the price tag for wide receivers is only getting more and more expensive. A.J. Brown received a three-year, $96 million extension from the Philadelphia Eagles. Amon-Ra St. Brown earned a four-year, $120 million deal from the Detroit Lions. The Miami Dolphins signed Jaylen Waddle to a three-year, $84.75 million extension.

It's important to note that Waddle is the WR2 on the Dolphins behind Tyreek Hill. The fact that he earns an annual salary of $28.25 million per year should be eye-opening for the Vikings, especially if Jordan Addison emerges as a legitimate, consistent threat in the passing game.

Addison was one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2023 class alongside Zay Flowers and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Addison was the fourth receiver taken off the board and turned out to be the most productive, alongside Flowers.

In 17 regular season games, Addison caught 70-of-108 targets for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. A season Vikings fans could have dreamed of became a reality.

Now, if Addison continues to keep up the pace and, say, the offense is taken to greater heights with McCarthy once he takes over as starting quarterback, his asking price will increase over the years. If that's the case, Addison could test free agency and emerge with a huge contract. Luckily for the Vikings, they don't have to worry about this until four years from now.