The Vikings’ regular season began with a tight loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Despite not having received the expected contract extension up to this point, the offensive player of the year, Justin Jefferson, entered his fourth season in the pros with his expected athletic excellence.
This set Jefferson to start the NFL season without a new deal even though this offseason established a record for NFL players’ contract extensions. Following the defeated night, the Vikings superstar opened up clarifying his sides regarding his deal.
Justin Jefferson talks about his contract situation
As of right now, Justin Jefferson is bound by a four-year, $13.12 million contract that he signed in 2020 as a rookie. Even though the Vikings exercised his fifth-year option in April, they are yet to make him an attractive contract extension offer.
In a conversation with ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Justin Jefferson stated that he has not changed his approach to putting more emphasis on his play than on anything pertaining to his contract.
“I have the same mindset as I had before. At the end of the day, all I can do is play football. And that’s what I continue to do.”
The quarterback skillfully implied that the Vikings weren’t giving his contract any attention, so he would better stay out of the conversation. As he technically has two more years left on his deal, he just wants to stay in Minnesota to help the Vikings win games.
“I know my team. My team doesn’t care about the contract, you know? And I don’t either. I just want to be here for my teammates, play for my teammates, and of course get these wins,” Justin Jefferson said.
Bucs beat Vikings in NFL game week 1
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were predicted to face a difficult challenge against the Vikings because the experts saw them as a 6-point underdog, but they managed to pull off an unexpected victory on the road and defeat the Vikings by a score of 20-17 in Week 1.
With Baker Mayfield performing admirably as QB1 for the Buccaneers, it was clear that he was the right man to take over the starter job for the Bucs. On the other hand, Kirk Cousins’ offense for the Vikings unexpectedly suffered a lot. Cousins struggled to perform at his best, going 33 for 44 for 344 yards.
Among the star players, Justin Jefferson produced some strong outcomes for the Vikings’ offense. He completed nine throws for 150 yards in all. It should be noted that the outcome of the game could have been altered if Jefferson received enough backing from his fellow players.
The Vikings are scheduled to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night. Stay tuned to get the updated news.
