Vikings owner opens up about uncertain future of WR Justin Jefferson

During a Monday appearance on NFL Media's "The NFL Report" program, Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf strongly suggested that the club won't be trading Justin Jefferson despite the All-Pro wide receiver being in the final year of his rookie contract. 

"We're focused on getting that guy on our field with the purple, and he looks great in purple," Wilf said about Jefferson, as Kevin Patra of the league's website shared. "We're going to do our best to keep it that way."

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell previously insisted Jefferson won't be traded. However, that was before quarterback Kirk Cousins may have sparked somewhat of a Minnesota rebuild by leaving the club to sign with the Atlanta Falcons earlier this month. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, O’Connell told reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Monday that Jefferson is "in the loop" regarding the franchise's long-term plans for the sport's most important position. 

Many in football circles expect the Vikings will soon complete a blockbuster trade that will allow them to move up from the No. 11 spot in the 2024 NFL Draft order and take a signal-caller at selection No. 3 or choice No. 4. Minnesota currently has veteran Sam Darnold as its QB1 and could have him serve as either a Band-Aid option at the position or someone who could start ahead of a rookie for part or all of the 2024 season. 

As recently as last week, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that "the Vikings aren’t looking to deal Jefferson." It's widely assumed the 24-year-old wants to become the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback for a while before, during or after the upcoming campaign. 

"We had great positive conversations last season, and we're looking forward to more positive conversations this offseason," Wilf added about talks between the Vikings and Jefferson. "...Not only is he a great player, he's become a great leader of our locker room, and he's great in the community, so the thrills he gives the fans on the field and just the way he carries himself. We're looking forward to some real positive conversations."

One wonders if such conversations will include a promise to Jefferson that the Vikings will leave the 2024 draft with an advertised top-tier quarterback prospect such as North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels or Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.