Vikings WR Justin Jefferson gets brutally honest on Kirk Cousins' future in Minnesota

Justin Jefferson is off to a better statistical start to his career than any other wide receiver in NFL history. He has been absolutely dominant since being drafted three years ago and is already considered the consensus best wide receiver in the NFL.

All of this will eventually result in Jefferson becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, in all likelihood, unless something catastrophic happens. It's unclear when exactly that will happen, as it's not necessarily imminent. The Minnesota Vikings recently picked up the fifth-year team option on his rookie deal, keeping him under contract for two more years.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins is also due for a new contract with the Vikings, but in the even nearer future than Justin Jefferson. Cousins will enter the 2023 NFL season in the final year of his current deal as he's scheduled to become a free agent next offseason. While the Vikings will almost definitely offer Jefferson a massive extension at some point, their plans for Cousins are much less clear.

According to Kevin Seifert, who covers the Vikings for ESPN, Jefferson recently discussed his own contract negotiations as well as Cousins' potential future.

Justin Jefferson is allegedly open to the idea of allowing his agent to continue negotiations during the season. He also apparently commented on Kirk Cousins potentially getting a new deal as well.

According to Seifert:

"He hopes to continue playing with Kirk Cousins but can’t control it."

It sounds as though Jefferson would prefer the Vikings extend Cousins, but he doesn't seem overly concerned about it. He would likely be just as dominant of a wide receiver regardless of who his quarterback is, though his proven results with Cousins can't be denied. In just three years, he has combined for a massive 324 receptions for 4,825 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Justin Jefferson's contract situation

Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His standardized rookie contract will pay him just over $13 million across four years, while the fifth-year option will earn him an additional $19.7 million.

The superstar wide receiver is apparently well aware of his insanely high value. He commented on what that means in relation to his contract negotiations, according to Kevin Seifert.

Jefferson reportedly said:

"I'm in a different situation. I've done something that no one has ever done in the history of the game. So my situation is a little bit different than everyone else's."

It clearly sounds like Jefferson fully expects to set new NFL contract records when he eventually inks a new deal. If anyone has earned the right to set a completely new financial standard in the wide receiver market, it's surely Jefferson.