Justin Jefferson's decision to sign Vikings extension had everything to do with Kevin O'Connell

When the Minnesota Vikings traded away wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills, there were doubts about how the team would replace his production. 

It didn’t take long for Minnesota to answer those lingering questions. The Vikings selected LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which they acquired from Buffalo in the Diggs trade.

Jefferson quickly established himself as one of the premier wide receivers in the league. He has eclipsed 1,400 receiving yards in three of his four seasons, and went over 1,000 yards last season despite starting just nine games.

Despite dealing with injuries during the 2023 season, the 25-year-old had shown enough to earn a long-term contract extension this offseason. Jefferson signed a four-year, $110 million contract extension in June to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. 

Kevin O’Connell influenced Justin Jefferson’s contract decision

During an appearance on “The Kay Adams Show,” Jefferson discussed how head coach Kevin O’Connell influenced his decision to remain in Minnesota.

"Having a head coach, that player-oriented [coach] that I have a very close connection with is not something you can find at the next team," Jefferson said. "Just with everything, the whole organization, the facility, even our stadium to our fan base, everything is just high quality, top tier in this league. We're graded pretty much top in everything that we need.”

O’Connell is an offensive-minded coach who previously served as an offensive coordinator under Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. In his first two years a head coach, O’Connell has put together a 20-14 record. 

Despite the individual accolades, Jefferson has not been able to help lead the Vikings to postseason success. Minnesota has compiled a 35-32 regular season record, but three losing seasons have left the Vikings out of the postseason tournament. In 2022, the Vikings won the NFC North division with a 13-3 record, but were upset by the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card Round.

“It's definitely something that's tough to deal with, just being in one playoff game,” Jefferson said. “And not having the success that I wanted to have team-wise, but just … focusing on the future, and just with the new pick-ups … and the new guys that we have in our building, is definitely something to look forward to. I feel like we have the confidence and guys in that building that we need to change that one game into a couple and hopefully a Super Bowl."

Jefferson was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, and he has earned three Pro Bowl nods to go along with a first-team All-Pro selection. Now, he’s hoping to add some diamond rings to go along with those awards.