Justin Jefferson didn't just reset the wide receiver market, but perhaps for any non-quarterback that hits superstar status.
The Vikings signed Jefferson to a four-year, $140-million contract extension on Monday morning, with $110 million of the deal fully guaranteed. That's the largest contract in NFL history for a non-quarterback. And, that'll leave receivers seeking a new deal, such as Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb and others, salivating over the potential impact this has on negotiations with their current teams.
This contract will have a ripple effect throughout the entire league, even for the Steelers. You might even say especially for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has long been in the center of the wide receiver rumor mill ever since the team traded Diontae Johnson to the Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. That leaves the Steelers without an established outside receiver that can line up opposite George Pickens and be relied on to produce. Hence, why the Steelers have been tied to just about every receiver that could possibly be traded, no matter how many No. 3 or No. 4 receivers they sign.
The first impact of the Jefferson extension is crossing his name off the pipe dream that the Steelers could actually trade for the Vikings' superstar receiver. The Steelers were tied to Jefferson in rumors earlier in the offseason, but that seemed highly unlikely at the time, and now those chances have all but diminished.
More realistically, Jefferson's extension could impact previous talks the Steelers had with the 49ers about Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk may be more emboldened than ever about getting a contract with an average annual value (AAV) north of $30 million, which would put him in the same ballpark of Amon-Ra St. Brown's four-year, $120-million contract.
The 49ers could either acquiesce to Aiyuk or try to move on from him via trade and recoup some value before he hits free agency next spring. If they try to sign him to a huge contract extension, the 49ers may have to move on from Samuel in order to afford Aiyuk. Either way, the Steelers could be a team that inquires about either receiver, especially now that we're past the June 1 deadline.
This could also impact how other teams deal with receivers seeking new contracts. Lamb has similar numbers to Jefferson and could get a massive deal in Dallas. Tee Higgins is also seeking a new deal in Cincinnati, though the Bengals would most likely not want to deal him to a division rival.
And, the Steelers also have to think internally about how Jefferson's new contract impacts them. Pickens is halfway through his four-year rookie contract. He's coming off a season in which he caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, all while playing with subpar quarterback play in a pedestrian offense that saw its offensive coordinator fired midseason.
Should Arthur Smith implement a better offense -- let's be real here, it'll be better than anything Matt Canada did -- and if Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields provide even average quarterback play, Pickens could have a monster 2024 season. That could lead into extension talks next summer ahead of the final season of his rookie deal, which is when the Steelers like to try and hammer out such extensions, but that contract could be quite hefty if Pickens has another uptick in numbers.
In the more immediate future, Jefferson's new contract could impact how or if the Steelers find Pickens a running mate for the upcoming season.
