The NFL’s annual league meetings are going on right now in Orlando, FL, and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has provided some illumination on two hot-button topics surrounding the team. From ESPN writer Kevin Seifert’s report, O’Connell has said he’s been having “regular check-ins” with wide receiver Justin Jefferson regarding the team’s plan at the quarterback position.
Minnesota lost long-time starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in the offseason, as he signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons in the opening wave of the NFL’s free agency period. Cousins and Jefferson had a connection during their time in Minnesota that helped make Jefferson one of the best wide receivers in the league. With Cousins now gone, O’Connell mentioned that Jefferson is “excited about the potential of contributing to the mentorship of a young quarterback”.
That quote would seem to imply that the plan for the Vikings is to draft a quarterback in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, likely early, and that Jefferson will play an integral role in that quarterback’s development both in the immediate and in the long-term.
To further illustrate the idea that Jefferson is in the Vikings’ long-term plans, O’Connell also mentioned that Jefferson “doesn’t need to know the outcome of the team’s plans before signing a contract extension”.
That news should be encouraging to all Vikings fans. There has been a lot of speculation about Jefferson and how willing he would be to stick around with the Vikings without Cousins in the fold. At least for now, that seems to be a non-issue and both Jefferson and the team seem to be committed to Jefferson sticking around for the long haul.
