NFL insider expects Justin Jefferson to receive record-breaking contract for a non-QB

The Minnesota Vikings moved on from veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. The Vikings filled the vacated role by selecting Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Cousins, who is 35 years old and still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, commanded a much larger salary than a quarterback on a rookie deal. With the additional salary cap space, the Vikings will now turn their attention toward signing a long-term deal with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The Vikings picked up the fifth-year option on Jefferson's rookie contract. The additional year gives the organization more time to negotiate the deal, but it's no secret that the All-Pro wideout wants an extension before entering his fifth season in the league.

Jefferson set to sign record-breaking contract with Vikings

Jefferson is expected to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"When this deal gets done, and I think it will eventually get done, it is expected to make Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history," Schefter said on Wednesday.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is currently the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. The Niners signed Bosa to a historic five-year, $170 million extension prior to the 2023 season. The highest-paid non-quarterback crown has typically been held by defensive players — and particularly those on the defensive line. Before Bosa, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald held the title.

Earlier this offseason, Jefferson was projected to earn somewhere between the highest-paid wide receiver, Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill at $30 million per year, and Bosa's $34 million per year. Things have changed rapidly since then, however. The Philadelphia Eagles reworked a deal for wide receiver A.J. Brown to earn him an annual average salary of $32 million, which makes him the highest-paid receiver in the league.

Recent reports have suggested that Jefferson could earn over $100 million through the first three years of his new deal.

There is a difference of just $2 million in annual salary between Bosa and Brown. With deals looming for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, it's only a matter of time before a wideout surpasses Bosa as the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

The Vikings selected Jefferson with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and it didn't take long for him to turn into one of the league's premier wide receivers. His 5,899 receiving yards are the most through the first four seasons of an NFL career. In 2022, he recorded 128 receptions for 1,809 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He missed seven games in 2023, but he became just the third player to record 1,000 receiving yards in 10 or fewer games. Jefferson was a first-team All-Pro and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, and he made the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons.

As the league's revenue and salary cap continue to skyrocket, so does the market for premium positions. The longer the Vikings wait to sign Jefferson, the more they'll have to pay.