Shocking team called Vikings about potential Justin Jefferson trade before draft

After an offseason of trade rumors and speculation, the Minnesota Vikings signed wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Before the deal, however, there were whispers that Minnesota could opt to move on from Jefferson by trading him for a significant haul of draft picks and quality starters. The whispers only got louder as negotiations wore on, and other NFL teams attempted to swoop in for the 24-year-old wideout.

The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts were among the teams that inquired about Minnesota's willingness to trade Jefferson prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Tuesday's episode of "The Adam Schefter Podcast."

"Every team that called the Vikings before the draft was told, 'We're not trading him,'" Schefter said. "The conversations went nowhere with anybody."

The Vikings clearly had no intention of trading Jefferson, and the Jets and Colts being interested in Jefferson isn't particularly shocking news either. But one of the NFL teams that showed interest in Jefferson could provide a hint at the team's future.

San Francisco 49ers inquired about trade for Justin Jefferson

The San Francisco 49ers inquired about a potential trade for Jefferson, according to Schefter.

San Francisco is no stranger to making bold moves, but their interest in the All-Pro wideout is fascinating since they are currently embroiled in contract negotiations with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch expressed that the team was happy with its wide receiver room after selecting Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He also denied that the Niners considered any trade offers for wide receiver Deebo Samuel or Aiyuk.

"We didn't entertain any of that today," Lynch said in April. "We're happy with our wide receiver group. Actually, more than happy. We're thrilled with it. And thrilled to add Ricky [Pearsall] to it to make it stronger."

The Niners also signed wide receiver Jauan Jennings to a two-year deal this offseason. San Francisco has one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league with Samuel, Aiyuk, Pearsall, and Jennings. Any trade for Jefferson likely would've included Samuel, which would have saved the Niners $21.9 million in salary cap space to sign Jefferson to a long-term deal. Trading Aiyuk to acquire Jefferson would've still left San Francisco with a wide receiver to pay. Trading both Samuel and Aiyuk would've been bold, but the Niners could've withstood the blow with their depth at the position.

Some teams were wise enough to lock up their wide receivers before Jefferson's mammoth contract extension. The Detroit Lions signed Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Miami Dolphins locked up wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and the Philadelphia extended wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Those deals would have been framed differently after Jefferson's market-setting deal.

For the Niners, Jefferson's contract is bound to have implications on Aiyuk's deal. Spotrac estimates that Aiyuk's market value will earn him a four-year, $106 million deal with an average annual salary of $26.5 million.

The Niners currently have $25.2 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap. San Francisco gained most of that cap space month since they are no longer responsible for the salary of defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who was released with a post-June 1 designation.

It's understandable for the 26-year-old Aiyuk to want security from his longtime team. Aiyuk has the leverage of an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him catch 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.