Will Justin Jefferson Pass Aaron Donald As Highest-Paid Non-QB?

Los Angeles Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald has been at the top of the game for a long time now, and he is getting paid like it.

Last summer, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year signed massive three-year extension worth $95 million with the Rams. Currently, Donald's average annual value of $31.67 million is the highest in the league among non-quarterbacks (No 15 in AAV overall). However, he may not have that title much longer.

Some of the league's brightest stars are due for extensions soon, which means that record-setting contracts are on the horizon. One of said stars is Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, who won Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and has had arguably the best start to his career in NFL history.

Even with those accomplishments, can he surpass Donald as the league's highest-paid non-quarterback? According to CBS Sports' Joel Corry, a former player agent, there's a chance he could.

"Jefferson would be justified in setting his sights on becoming the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback," Corry writes.

There are numerous factors to consider in this scenario, with the first being the current receiver market. Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) and Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders) currently have the highest AAVs among receivers at $30 million and $28 million respectively. However, their contracts are backloaded so their actual salaries are low until later in the deal. Next in line is Cooper Kupp of the Rams, who has an AAV of $26.7 million with a more balanced salary distribution.

Another factor is the precedent of a wide receiver being the highest-paid non-QB. There have been examples of this happening recently, including Hill last year before Donald signed his new deal. The precedent is there, it's just a matter of if the Vikings will follow suit.

Whether or not Jefferson can surpass Donald in terms of AAV, the Vikings' star is in for a huge payday very soon.

"Regardless of whether the Vikings make Jefferson the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback or just wide receiver, he should, at a minimum, be the first wide receiver to hit the $30 million-per-year mark on a deal that isn't artificially inflated by a high salary in the final contract year(s)," Corry writes.

You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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