All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson has made it known that he's willing to re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings — but only after he knows what the franchise plans to do about another position.
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According to a report from three NFL.com insiders, Jefferson — who will become an unrestricted free agent after next season — "is a [Kirk] Cousins fan and will want to know the quarterback plan before signing on for the long haul."
While the Vikings are still guaranteed to have at least one more year with Jefferson before he hits free agency, they'll also be looking to ink their star receiver to a new deal long before that point. Jefferson is a three-time Pro Bowler, 2022 First-team All-Pro, and 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Yet, it appears that Jefferson is willing to wait and see whether Minnesota re-signs Cousins, who will become a free agent in March and is expected to have a big market despite suffering a torn Achilles last season.
If Cousins ends up signing elsewhere, it sounds as if the Vikings will need to impress Jefferson with a new quarterback if they want to keep him around.
Luckily for both Jefferson and the Vikings, Cousins has made it known that he'd like to re-sign with the Vikings — and would even be willing to take a pay cut in doing so.
During a January interview with ESPN, Cousins said, "I think that God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams. So at this stage in my career, the dollars are really not what it's about."
That must be music to Jefferson's ears.
During a television broadcast before the Super Bowl, Jefferson also discussed the prospect of Minnesota re-signing Cousins. When asked who would be throwing him the ball in his dream Super Bowl scenario next season, Jefferson said, "That's a great question ... I have no idea, I have no idea. It could be Kirk [Cousins], it could not be Kirk, I have no idea. But it doesn't matter who's going to be throwing me that ball. You know I'm always going to be the same type of player."
That may be true. Then again, considering how the Vikings' supposed replacements performed after Cousins' Achilles tear, we can understand why Jefferson wants his QB1 back.
