Jumping into the conversation about the wisdom of tying so much money into a WR, I'm going to first acknowledge that I defer to Ogee on this point, as he laid out quite some time ago how the way the Vikings have set up their salary structure allowed them to A) be able to pay JJ these top dollars; and B) Jefferson's extension will expire roughly around the same time as McCarthy's rookie deal expires, when Jefferson is either 28 or 29. At that point (quoting Ogee) it would be foolish to extend JJ at the price he would demand, assuming his production continues at the rate that he would be set up for such a second payday. In the meantime, the current team has caught lightning/mercury in the bottle with Darnold for one season and are (I'm guessing) hoping McCarthy is ready to roll next season. And there's a boatload of cap space available for the Vikings stepping into next season with their franchise receiver and left tackle wrapped up for the next four seasons.
Again, all that's already been laid out very well by Ogee, for quite some time. What I would add to the conversation is how extraordinary a talent we have in JJ, and I'm not just talking about the statistics that stake that claim. Consider that:
* He's 25 years old--he was an All-Pro at age 21, 22, and 23 (OPOY at 23).
* To this point, he's shown himself to be devoid of the WR diva syndrome that seems to infect just about every other elite wideout. Unless it's being hidden really well, he puts the team first.
When his contract expires, he'll either be 28 (the Vikings can opt out) or 29. Davante Adams was 30 when he got his big contract; Tyreek Hill was 28; AJ Brown, age 27, signed a three year extension this off season. Brandon Aiyuk is a year older than JJ and signed for 4 yrs, $120 this offseason; Ceedee Lamb is the same age and paid about the same as JJ with an aging and injured QB who has won two playoff games; DJ Moore for goodness sake is two years older than JJ, with a 4 yr, $110 extension inked this off-season.
My point is, JJ is an exception to the rule, or definitely has been to this point. If we were talking about Aiyuk or Moore, most definitely there would be reason to question the front office's judgment, but JJ has been a singular talent at the WR position and as stated in prior posts, a player who elevates the other talent on offense due to the attention that must be paid to him.
The final thing I'll say is that there's the opinion that a team doesn't need a high-end WR as long as they have a superstar quarterback in place. Tom Brady or current version of Patrick Mahomes are provided as examples--which of course, might be the two best QB's all-time when it's all said and done, but even then. . .
* Brady's early years were much more of a game manager type than a slinging, flinging QB--he won his first MVP when he was paired with Randy Moss and Wes Welker and on the backside of his career he had Rob Gronkowski until the end.
* Mahomes burst onto the scene with Tyreek Hill stretching the field and Travis Kelce as the best TE in the league.
Manning had Harrison and Wayne. Rodgers had Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Jordy Nelson at wideout when he stepped into the starting role. Favre had Sterling Sharpe. Matt Ryan had Roddy White. Joe Burrow took off in his second season when Jamar Chase was added. Aikman had Irvin. Montana and Young had Rice.
Okay, the final thought--for all the trials and tribulations that being a Vikings fan has entailed, there have been some standout to legendary pass catchers that have graced the uniform-Moss, Cris Carter, Anthony Carter, Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White, Stephon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and now JJ. We got very lucky that the Eagles chose Jalen Reagor with the draft pick acquired for Diggs. But do you remember that post-Moss, pre-Diggs/Thielen era (2005-14) where the likes of Travis Taylor, Marcus Robinson, Bobby Wade, one season of Sidney Rice, the mercurial Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, and a past his prime Greg Jennings were the leading pass catchers for the franchise? Those were bleak years, both from a record standpoint and an entertainment standpoint, save for the '09 Brett Favre swan song season.
Should your top paid player be a WR? In most cases, no. But these days, with few exceptions, a superior talent is needed at the position and when that player has placed himself in a historical context at age 25 tracking as one of the best wide receivers ever? And your front office has structured the team where ideally a QB on a rookie contract and a team with lots of cap space can correspond to the life of the contract to said superstar WR? In this case, it makes sense.
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