Inside The Vikings

Report: Vikings Didn't Try to Move Up For Nabers, Have No Interest in Trading Justin Jefferson

This wacky rumor has been shot down by ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
Will Ragatz|
Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

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Minnesota Vikings

A wacky, hard-to-believe rumor made its way around the internet recently, but as is usually the case, it turns out there's nothing to it. The rumor was that the Vikings attempted to trade up for LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers during last month's draft — and that if they had been successful, they would've traded Justin Jefferson. It came from Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters and was seconded by ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio. SI's Conor Orr even wrote about it, while acknowledging that he wasn't sure if it was true.

Thanks to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, we now know that this "story" was never actually a story. "This rumor has made the rounds, and it's admittedly juicy, but the Vikings did not try last month to trade up and draft WR Malik Nabers," Seifert tweeted. "Great player, but Vikings have a better one in Justin Jefferson. Still working to extend Jefferson and no interest in trading him."

This one never made any sense in the first place. The Vikings needed a quarterback, which they got when they selected J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick. They've made it very clear that they want to extend Jefferson and have him remain the face of their franchise for many years to come. They also drafted Jordan Addison in the first round last year to complement Jefferson and perhaps give them insurance for the worst-case-scenario outcome where they can't work something out with their best player.

The internet rumor mill is a strange place, and it's important to always consider the sources and use critical thinking and common sense when evaluating things like this. There are going to be more bizarre Jefferson rumors and talking points until a deal eventually gets done, but at the moment, there's still no legitimate reason to believe that the Vikings and Jefferson aren't going to reach an agreement at some point this summer.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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