Justin Jefferson trade rumors: Vikings stand firm on WR even as Kirk Cousins signs with Falcons

Kirk Cousins' exit from the Vikings was one of the biggest moves this offseason. The Vikings, suddenly left to build from scratch at the quarterback position, now ponder whether to embark on a complete rebuild. With the beating heart of the offense changing, some fans have braced for Justin Jefferson to move on as well.

However, the wide receiver is reportedly staying put, despite the exit of Cousins as per NFL insider Dianna Russini. On Wednesday, Russini said the Vikings had no interest in trading the wide receiver.

"The Vikings came close to extending WR Justin Jefferson last offseason. In Indy, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah aggressively rejected the idea of trading the star. Kirk Cousins’ departure hasn’t changed things. The Vikings have no plans to trade Jefferson, sources tell me and Alec Lewis."

This means that instead of Cousins, another quarterback will throw passes to Jefferson this season. Injuries hit the Vikings hard last season, with as many as four quarterbacks receiving multiple starts.

Justin Jefferson aims to bounce back after injuries rip through Kirk Cousins' WR

Justin Jefferson at SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII – Feb 7

While instability plagued the quarterback position, it also hit the wide receiver room.

Kirk Cousins' top receiver played only 10 games last season, the least of his NFL career. Despite limited playing time, Jefferson racked up more than 1,000 yards and had five receiving touchdowns.

However, his numbers were nearly cut in half from his production in 2022. Jefferson finished with 1074 yards and five touchdowns, both career lows and a stark drop off from his best year in the league, when he totaled 128 catches for 1809 yards and eight touchdowns.

Assuming no further injuries, the wide receiver should return to form this season.

According to Spotrac, Justin Jefferson is entering into the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. The pressure is now on to get a deal done that extends him well beyond the end of the 2024 season when his rookie contract expires.