“Worth every penny!” – Vikings set to reportedly pay Justin Jefferson over $30 million per year amid talks of Kirk Cousins’ exit, fans react

Kirk Cousins is due to enter free agency in March as he awaits an extension from the Vikings.

“Worth every penny!” – Vikings set to reportedly pay Justin Jefferson over $30 million per year amid talks of Kirk Cousins’ exit, fans react

Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson (via Sports Illustrated/FOX)

The Minnesota Vikings have two key decisions to make this offseason, the first being re-signing Kirk Cousins and the second being getting Justin Jefferson back. The team is prioritizing Jefferson over Cousins as they look to make him one of the highest-paid wideouts in the NFL by offering him a contract which would pay him over $30 million per year.

Dan Graziano of ESPN reported this first. Assuming the Vikings offer him even $30 million annually, Jefferson would instantly join Tyreek Hill as the highest-paid wideout in the league. But if he gets paid more, he will overtake Hill on the list. There is no disputing the fact that Jefferson deserves to get the bag but it does put Kirk Cousins in a bit of a pickle.

How would this impact the quarterback and his contract extension talks with the team? Does he end up testing the waters in free agency? After all, there are many teams interested in Kirk Cousins. Before he went down with an Achilles injury, Cousins was having one of the best years of his career last season.

The Vikings remain hesitant to offer Kirk Cousins a massive payday owing to his recent Achilles injury

One thing is clear, Cousins will have to compromise. The Vikings will not be able to keep Jefferson and their quarterback happy at the same time. If one gets the deal of a lifetime, the other will need to take a cut on their contract. The Vikings consider Jefferson a generational talent, a player who is key to their offense. While Cousins is also important, he just suffered an Achilles injury, there is no way to know if he will come back and play as well as he is accustomed to doing or if the injury will restrict him to some extent.

Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins (via Sports Illustrated)

Fans are certain about one thing, Justin Jefferson rightfully deserves to be one of the highest-paid wideouts in the NFL, here’s how they reacted to the news on X.

Justin Jefferson deserves this massive deal but it could just as well mean fans have seen the last of Kirk Cousins in a Vikings uniform. Unless, of course, the hometown hero is willing to take a substantial pay cut. The question is, should he do so or would he be better off with a change of scenario.

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