Inside The Vikings

Unsurprisingly, Justin Jefferson is Absent From Vikings OTAs

Jefferson seems unlikely to show up until mandatory minicamp.
Will Ragatz|
Jan 7, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18)
Jan 7, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) | Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings' offseason program reached a new phase on Monday with the start of organized team activities (OTAs). Unsurprisingly, superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson was not there. Jefferson, who is seeking a contract extension, didn't attend OTAs last year either. Anyone paying close attention knew that this was going to be the case. Nonetheless, given Jefferson's stature and his unresolved contract situation, the news drew a tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Let this simply serve as a reminder that nothing changed with Jefferson's status today. He is a superstar — and the face of the Vikings' franchise — who is heading into the final year of his rookie contract. He wants to stay in Minnesota, as long as they pay him what he's worth. The Vikings want to keep Jefferson, and they know it's going to take record-breaking non-quarterback money to make that happen. But this is a major contract negotiation that takes time. Some patience is needed.

Jefferson, who has a strong case as the best wide receiver on the planet, doesn't need to attend OTAs. He didn't attend OTAs last year, but showed up for mandatory minicamp and training camp and continued to dominate during the regular season when he was healthy (and no, skipping OTAs in May did not have anything to do with him injuring his hamstring in October). The earliest he'll likely show up this year is mandatory minicamp in early June. He could also skip that and incur some fines, which he could afford with the payday that's coming. This will only really become a major story if Jefferson starts holding out from training camp in July, which would lead to significant fines. But even if a new deal hasn't been agreed upon at that point, Jefferson would likely do what Danielle Hunter did last season and "hold in" — meaning show up to training camp to avoid fines but not actually participate.

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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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