Since coming into the league as a first-round pick in 2020, Jefferson has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most exciting playmakers while producing historic numbers worthy of such a grand investment.
Jefferson is one of five players ever with 5,000-plus receiving yards in his first four seasons, and his 5,899 career yards are nearly 400 more than any other player in NFL history along that same measure, according to NFL Research. His 98.3 receiving yards per game also stand as the most in NFL history (minimum of 50 games), and he’s improved that average on a yearly basis (87.5, 95.1, 106.4, 107.4 in 2023) the past four seasons.
Jefferson’s best season came in 2022, when he led the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) to earn the AP’s Offensive Player of the Year award along with his first All-Pro honor. Adversity struck in the follow-up to Jefferson’s extraordinary year due to a hamstring injury in 2023, but he still managed to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in 10 games played.
With his payday in order, Jefferson will enter 2024 with a new quarterback following the offseason departure of Kirk Cousins, and either veteran Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy will be the next to benefit from Jefferson’s exceptional play.
Jefferson’s long-awaited extension comes just in time for the Vikings to get to work as the club begins mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
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