Justin Jefferson has put pen to paper on a massive new four-year, $140million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
He also becomes the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history, and $110m of his new deal is guaranteed across the next four seasons.
Jefferson, 24, was heading into the final year of his rookie deal after turning down the offer of a new contract last year that would have seen him earn $28m per season. His new deal secures him an average of $35m per season.
Last month, the wide receiver skipped the start of the Vikings’ return to practice, as his standoff with the team continued – but he will now return a much better-paid player than when he left at the end of last season.
The three-time Pro Bowler had multiple teams inquiring about a trade during this offseason, according to ESPN sources, but the Vikings told all suitors they had no intention of letting their star player leave the building.
Vikings star Justin Jefferson has signed a new four-year, $140million contract
Jefferson, pictured at the Western Conference NBA Finals, has made history with his new deal
Jefferson hit the headlines earlier this year, when DailyMail.com exclusively revealed he was facing a paternity lawsuit in New Jersey, after being accused of pressuring the child’s mother to get an abortion.
The Vikings star and his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Galea, filed counter claims against each other in January in Essex County (New Jersey) Family Court. Those filings were since obtained by DailyMail.com.
Galea is a University of Miami Law School graduate who previously attended Louisiana State University with Jefferson. The two became romantically involved in 2019 before drifting apart and reconnecting in April of 2023, according to her paternity lawsuit filed on January 19.
It was in April that Galea claims Jefferson fathered her daughter, Stella, who was born in late December.
In addition to a paternity test, Galea has pushed for financial support and healthcare coverage from Jefferson, while accusing the former first-round draft pick of pressuring her to abort the child during her pregnancy.
In his own January 26 complaint, Jefferson also pushed for a paternity test while demanding an injunction against Galea to prevent her from sharing information about the child.