MINNEAPOLIS, MN – AUGUST 21: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before the start of a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 21, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Colts defeated the Vikings 12-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly tried giving Justin Jefferson a record-setting contract last year…but to no avail.

Jefferson and the Vikings were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal heading into the 2023 season. As Jefferson heads into the fifth and final year of his rookie deal, rumors about the superstar wideout potentially getting traded have started to ramp up.

Speaking on “NFL Live”, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jefferson “turned down in excess of 30 million dollars a year,” prior to last season.

Two years ago, Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill became the first at the position to sign a deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $30 million. Hill signed a four-year, $120 million pact with Miami after being acquired via trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hill was 28 years of age at the time of the deal. Jefferson will only be 25 years of age next season, and the wide receiver market has increased significantly ever since Hill put the pen to the paper two years ago.

So Jefferson will most certainly earn a deal worth a higher AAV than Hill’s, and likely one that surpasses the $140 million value Davante Adams got on his deal with the Las Vegas Raiders two years ago.

Somebody is going to pay Jefferson between now and next offseason. The only question, of course, is whether or not that will be the Vikings or somebody else.

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