“It was strictly about business,” Justin Jefferson reveals he had no intentions of causing drama by sitting out had the Vikings delayed offering him an extension

Jefferson signed a $140 million contract for four-years with the Vikings.

“It was strictly about business,” Justin Jefferson reveals he had no intentions of causing drama by sitting out had the Vikings delayed offering him an extension

Justin Jefferson (via IMAGO)

Picture this, in today’s NFL scenario, as a player heads into the final year of their contract, they begin to negotiate with their respective team’s front office for an extension. While teams hope to get deals done at the earliest, in some instances, when there are elite players such as Justin Jefferson, teams take more time because they understand that players of this caliber will not be satisfied with a low-ball offer.

When presented with an underwhelming offer, players tend to begin playing games in order to force the hand of teams. The most common tactic now is to hold-out. It means that the athlete just does not show up for team events, practices, or meetings until his contractual matter is sorted out. However, for Justin Jefferson, who recently secured a historic contract from the Vikings, this was never an option.

Despite being absent from the team’s organized team activities that are voluntary in nature, Jefferson revealed to Dan Barreiro on KFAN live that he never intended to hold-out and create drama in the locker room in order to compel the Minnesota Vikings to offer him his contract sooner.

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We weren't going to sit out and do all of this extra stuff on social media. It was strictly about business and getting back to this team as fast as possible.
Justin Jefferson said

He had made it clear to his agent and team that he wanted to adopt a completely drama-free approach while getting his extension. Could a team ask for a more mature and better player as the face of its franchise?

Other receivers holding out for Justin Jefferson-esque deals

Justin Jefferson’s approach is one that most wide receivers must adhere by, particularly CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys receiver has been absent from mandatory minicamps and organized team activities as he awaits an extension.

Lamb is heading into his fifth year on the rookie deal and considering his numbers are more or less in the same stratosphere as Jefferson, the assumption is that he is hoping for a similar deal.

Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson (via IMAGO)

Brandon Aiyuk is another receiver who has been going back-and-forth with the San Francisco 49ers to secure an extension. As he continues to holdout from the team’s minicamp, his side has attempted to stir up the pot by alleging that he is interested to join the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While players deserve to be paid their worth, their negotiation process ends up creating more drama and strains relationships in many instances. In this matter, Justin Jefferson is a breath of fresh air indeed.

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