In some of the most unsurprising news of the week in the NFL, a few first round standouts from the 2020 NFL Draft had their fifth-year contract options exercised in the past few days.

Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals was an absolute no brainer to have his fifth-year option exercised, and now the Minnesota Vikings have taken care of their star player as well, exercising the option for fourth year wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Per ProFootballTalk:

There was never any doubt that the Vikings would do it, but today it became official, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

That means Jefferson is guaranteed a salary of $19.7 million for the 2024 season. In 2023 he’ll make a $2.4 million base salary in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

Of course, there’s a good chance Jefferson and the Vikings will agree to a new long-term contract before that. Jefferson’s second contract should make him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.

The 23-year-old Jefferson has been a Pro Bowler in all three of his NFL seasons and is coming off his best year, having led the NFL with 128 catches and 1,809 receiving yards last season. He was chosen as the NFL’s offensive player of the year, and he’s as valuable as any non-quarterback in football.

Jefferson has been a staple on the Vikings offense since his very first game with the team, and will be for the forseeable future.

Now fans will just need to wait and see how much of a priority Jefferson's soon-to-be-expiring contract is for the Vikings from office. It doesn't need to be immediate, but better sooner than later when dealing with a star player of Jefferson's caliber.

Source: Pro Football Talk (MSN)

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Ten Most Disappointing Minnesota Sports Seasons

The 2021 Minnesota Twins entered the season with high expectations, but unfortunately, they've made the list of most disappointing Minnesota teams of all time.

Disappointment is a common feeling for Minnesota sports fans as the years continue. Following the NBA Championship win for Milwaukee, SportsCenter was quick to point out that Minnesota has the current longest streak of seasons without a championship appearance in the four major sports (MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL). The Minnesota Lynx also chimed in on the stat after claiming four championships since 2011.

The ten teams that are on this list all follow a similar pattern. The year prior was either a great season with a playoff run or one that featured a strong core of players that appeared to have taken the next step. Offseason/preseason expectations were high with even Las Vegas oddsmakers believing in a deep run. Unfortunately, those preseason expectations fell short for the following teams. None of the teams listed below made the playoffs.


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