The Minnesota Vikings finally got the contract extension signed with wide receiver Justin Jefferson. It was something they had been working on for a long time and nearly came to terms on a deal last September.
The terms of the contract with Jefferson are pretty straightforward.
- Four years
- $140 million
- $110 million guaranteed
Those are record-setting numbers for a non-quarterback in total guarantees and average annual value at $35 million per season. One of the other elements of the contract is how much Jefferson is due at signing. It's a massive amount of money at $88.743 million.
How Justin Jefferson's contract impacts salary cap
The number due at signing gives you a good starting point on how this will impact the salary cap. The total due at signing doesn't necessarily mean it's all signing bonus, but there is a chance that it is. You can spread out a signing bonus over five seasons, which would be the final year of his rookie contract and the four years of his extension.
If the Vikings did make the entire amount his signing bonus, Jefferson's salary cap number would still be around $19.2 million for the 2024 season. Considering they are in good salary cap health for 2024, it would be smart to keep it the same.
Moving forward, Jefferson's contract will average at least $35 million per season but the structure of the deal is going to be paramount for the Vikings to make things work down the line. Being flexible with the salary cap has been paramount for general manger Kwesi Adofo-Mensah his entire tenure.
Right now, the Vikings should project to still have over $60 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season. As more information comes out, we will have all the information here on The Sporting News.
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