Some things are complicated. Some things aren’t.
For the Vikings, this is as simple as it gets: Pay receiver Justin Jefferson or trade him to someone who will.
If they intend to pay him, what’s the delay? It won’t get cheaper over time. The best thing to do is to just do it now, make him happy, and move forward.
And if, after months of negotiations, the Vikings realize they’re never going to make him happy, they need to send him to someone who will.
The Vikings are clearly exasperated by the situation. When someone leaked to Schefty that Jefferson turned down $30 million per year, that surely didn’t come from the player. The team wants to look reasonable and/or not cheap when it comes to not paying Jefferson.
Last year at this time, I said that if the Vikings don’t sign Jefferson before the start of the 2023 regular season, he’ll be in play for a trade that would allow the Vikings to draft their first true franchise quarterback since Fran Tarkenton. Although the Vikings insist that’s not happening, they could truly slam the door on the possibility by paying him.
The clock keeps ticking. The draft is coming. Could the end result be Jefferson plus the 11th pick to the Commanders for the Jayden Daniels pick? Jefferson plus No. 11 to the Patriots for No. 3?
The Vikings can end that narrative by making the investment in Jefferson, now. Until they do, it’s possible that they’ll give up and trade him — and it’s definite that the price will keep increasing.
