Justin Jefferson of Minnesota Vikings looking on.Justin Jefferson (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been widely mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, simply because the two sides have yet to reach a contract extension.

Justin Jefferson is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. Given his status as the best wide receiver in football, it’s noteworthy that the two sides have failed to find ground on a new deal.

There aren’t indicators on either end that a trade is inevitable. But what if if Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gets an offer he can’t refuse for the soon-to-be 25-year-old?

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine proposed a league-changing trade proposal idea that has Minnesota trading Justin Jefferson to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for fellow star wideout Tee Higgins and 2025 first and third-round picks:

“The LSU trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson was the engine behind one of college football’s greatest offenses in 2019.

If they were reunited, they would undoubtedly do the same to the league. The Bengals’ battery of Burrow and Chase is already one of the best quarterback-wide receiver connections in the league when they are both healthy. Adding Jefferson to that mix would be unfair to defenses around the league.”

Ja’Marr Chase is arguably the second-best receiver in football behind Jefferson, so it would be downright unfair if Joe Burrow had the luxury of throwing to the both of them.

Regarding Ballentine’s proposal, it certainly feels fair for both sides. Minnesota would be getting a new No. 1 receiver in Higgins, plus two valuable early-round selections to bolster their roster.

But the Bengals still have to extend Chase and don’t appear keen on keeping Higgins long-term, so it’s unlikely they would complete a trade for Jefferson without agreeing to a new deal ahead of time. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to envision Chase and Jefferson playing together.

Vikings Need To Pay Justin Jefferson

If the Vikings listened to trade offers for Jefferson, there wouldn’t be a shortage of compelling offers coming their way.

But the odds of Minnesota getting equal or greater value in a Jefferson trade are awfully slim. The organization’s best bet is to pay the league’s best-non quarterback what he’s worth, because players of Jefferson’s caliber do not come around very often.

NFL Rivalry on NBA Court? Justin Jefferson Cheers for Timberwolves After Patrick Mahomes Picks Mavericks

Patrick Mahomes vs Justin Jefferson in Mavs vs TimberwolvesPatrick Mahomes (L), Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison (Image Source: Getty Images, X/Timberwolves)
After his Superbowl success, Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes came to support his favorite team, the Dallas Mavericks, in the final stages of the regular season. He was again seen at the courtside to witness Luka Doncic and Co. play in the playoff round 2 series against Oklahoma City.

While the Chiefs quarterback supported his side from home during the series opener against the Timberwolves, Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson took the spotlight. With him was the franchise’s wide receiver, Jordan Addison. The two were pictured together holding a T’Wolves jersey, which was posted on the NBA franchise’s social media accounts.

After the recent controversy surrounding Austin Rivers’ NBA vs. NFL take, the two football stars’ support for their respective teams has started a mini-battle within the big match-up of the Western Conference Finals. The first blood was drawn by Patrick Mahomes as his Mavericks side took an early lead with Wednesday night’s win.

Timberwolves Fall Short in Series Opener Against Mavs

On Wednesday, the Timberwolves welcomed the Mavs for game 1 of the series at the Target Center. Despite taking a lead in the first quarter, the home side failed to capitalize on it and were taken down by the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The Slovenian guard scored 33 points, followed by Irving’s 30.

Anthony Edwards was far from his inspiring best for the Timberwolves, as he was only limited to 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Jaden McDaniels led the scoring for the Minnesota side with 24 with Karl-Anthony Towns chipping in 16 points.

The Mavericks’ narrow 105-108 win gave Patrick Mahomes a lot to celebrate, so he sent out a celebratory message on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The two teams will again clash on Friday at the same venue, and the Timberwolves will be wary of going down 2-0 before back-to-back games at Dallas.