EAGAN, Minn. — "I'm just excited to be done with it, finally move on and try to reach a goal we're trying."
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson alternately demonstrated gratitude, determination and sheer relief as he met with reporters just one day after signing a four-year extension that made him a very rich man and put the fate of the franchise squarely on his shoulders.
Jefferson and the Vikings brass had hammered away at a new deal for months without a breakthrough, and some feared the asking price for a player considered the best at his position in the NFL might be too much for the club to stomach. But Monday's announcement of a record-setting $140 million contract ended those fears and kicked off a new chapter for the man fans know as J.J. or Jet.
"I love everything about it," Jefferson said about remaining with the Vikings organization. "from the fan base to the coaches to the teammates, to the owners that support this organization."
Jefferson said getting the deal done was all about time, the numbers and "what I deserve." He acknowledged that the contract would set both him and his family up for life, and spoke of him accepting a role as the face and leader of the Minnesota Vikings.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo Mensah also insisted there was never a doubt Jefferson would be back in the fold. "This day was going to come. There was never a second in my mind we weren't going to be here," he said,
Adofo Mensah laughed when recalling how he encountered Jefferson during his first days in the front office, a time when the new GM was in the midst of difficult negotiations with a different player. He told Jefferson when it was time for his new deal it would get done "in two seconds."
Head coach Kevin O'Connell said keeping Jefferson in purple was as much about what happens off the field as the highlight-reel performances that have led to four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
"He's been raised the right way, loves this game, loves his teammates, loves everything about the process of becoming and maintaining his status as the best in football at what he does," O'Connell reflected, speaking of the close personal relationship he and J.J. have forged. "All the things that people don't get to see, that we get to see on a daily basis is what this day is really all about... he's a people changer, he's a culture changer and he's everything we want this organization to be about."
Jefferson was obviously anxious to wind up the media session and minutes after answering the final question was seen sprinting onto the practice field, ready to get to work on the next four years.
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