Justin Jefferson Still Absent From OTAs, Kevin O'Connell Hopes to See Him Soon
Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson remains absent from the team's OTA practices. Along with Dalvin Cook and Danielle Hunter, Jefferson has not been spotted at either of the sessions open to reporters this month, the latest coming on Tuesday.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell was asked about Jefferson's absence and although he didn't seem concerned, he did express that he'd love to have him here.
"For me, I hope to see him as soon as possible," O'Connell said after Tuesday's practice. "I think our participation amongst the whole team has been so good that we’re able to get great work in. Would love to have him here, obviously, but I think as we work towards minicamp, we’ll have a real clean-cut plan of what that looks like, hopefully get him some work and I know a lot of the guys will be excited to see him."
To be clear, Jefferson isn't missing anything that he's required to attend. These OTAs aren't mandatory, even if that's just a technicality for all but the most established veterans and stars. He doesn't have to be at TCO Performance Center until the team's mandatory minicamp on June 13th and 14th. If Jefferson doesn't attend that, the rules of his contract and the CBA would result in fines.
So why isn't the face of the Vikings' franchise out on the field with the rest of his teammates? Beyond Jefferson simply being the roster's biggest superstar, it's natural to speculate this his contract situation could be a factor. Entering his fourth season, Jefferson is eligible for a contract extension for the first time. There's a chance that he could surpass Aaron Donald as the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history on his next deal, whether that comes this offseason or later. Right now, Donald's $31.67 million AAV is the highest for a non-QB, while Tyreek Hill has the highest AAV for a wide receiver at $30 million.
Could Jefferson be waiting to finalize an extension before he shows up? O'Connell, unsurprisingly, didn't reveal any details.
"It’s one of those things that, we’ve had great dialogue throughout the offseason," O'Connell said. "A lot of that will stay between Justin and I, but I just know he’s getting good work wherever he’s spending his offseason, (I) look forward to having him here when he decides to come up, and I know his teammates will be excited about that."
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