O'Connell: Vikings 'never, ever' mulled Jefferson trade

After the Vikings made Justin Jefferson the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Minnesota "never, ever" considered trading the superstar receiver despite a lengthy contract negotiation process, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

"Some people have sources far and wide, but among the leadership, among the decision-makers - the people that are directly involved in the situation - there really was not one time that was ever discussed, game-planned, (or) contingency planned," O'Connell said Tuesday.

Jefferson signed a four-year extension worth $140 million with $110 million in guaranteed money. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year had been linked to trade rumors, and reports said the Vikings tried to jump into the top five of the 2024 NFL Draft to select LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in a move that would've resulted in trading Jefferson.

Fresh off signing the new deal that keeps him under contract through the 2028 season, Jefferson returned to the practice field Tuesday as the Vikings kicked off their mandatory minicamp.

"Just being the highest paid just comes with being a leader," Jefferson said Tuesday, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. "I always said, I always preached it: The money never was a big thing for me. It was mostly just solidifying myself as the top receiver in the league.

"Of course, I want to be holding that gold jacket when my career is all over with. … I want to be the best player to ever do it."

The 2020 first-round pick is one of the NFL's top pass-catchers. Jefferson caught 392 passes for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns over the last four seasons. His average of 98.3 yards per game in that span is the highest in the league.

Minnesota was decimated by quarterback injuries last year and lost starter Kirk Cousins to free agency, but Jefferson - who topped the 1,000-yard mark again in 2023 despite missing seven games due to injury - is optimistic his production will remain elite with a new QB under center in 2024.

"It really didn't matter who was going to be able to throw the ball," Jefferson said. "I'm always confident in myself and confident in who was throwing the ball to give me those types of opportunities and let me just go make a play for the team."

The Vikings drafted quarterback J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in April and signed Sam Darnold in March, adding to a QB depth chart featuring Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall.