Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson wasn’t present for the first day of the team’s offseason program in April and he remains absent as the team moves into their third phase of work.
The Vikings held their first organized team activity of the offseason on Monday and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Jefferson is not in attendance.
Jefferson’s absence comes as no surprise as he continues to wait for a long-term contract extension. He became eligible for such a deal last year and did not take part in the team’s voluntary work while trying to land an agreement with the team.
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently called Jefferson the “king linchpin” of the team’s plans when discussing the Vikings’ desire to sign Jefferson to a new deal and head coach Kevin O’Connell said he knows “everything’s gonna get worked out,” but those sentiments have not translated into a contract that ensures Jefferson will be in Minnesota for years to come.
Jefferson rejoined the team for their mandatory sessions last year and the Vikings have a mandatory minicamp in June. The next big question for the wideout will be if he handles that any differently if his contract situation remains unresolved.