Shortly after the 2026 NFL Draft concluded, the Minnesota Vikings made a move that many thought they would make when they picked up the fifth-year option on the rookie contract of wide receiver Jordan Addison. The move was thought to potentially be the starting point of a long-term contract extension for Addison, a move that could potentially be tricky for a team that’s already paying Justin Jefferson a contract consistent with his status as one of the best wide receivers in the National Football
League.
Thanks to one of the Vikings’ division rivals, that extension may have gotten a little bit trickier this week.
For reasons that are known only to them. . .because very few people that I’ve seen any analysis from online seem to understand. . .the Green Bay Packers signed wide receiver Christian Watson to a four-year contract extension this week worth up to $110 million dollars. Yes, that is one hundred and ten million dollars.
American dollars, presumably.
That’s a hefty sum of money for a receiver who has not only never had a 1,000-yard season in the National Football League, he’s never had a season where he has exceeded 650 receiving yards. By contrast, Addison. . .who has been in the NFL for one less season than Watson. . .has averaged nearly 800 yards a season and has more yardage and touchdown catches in three NFL seasons than Watson has in four.
He’s done this while, mostly, sharing targets with one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in Jefferson. In the games back in Addison’s rookie season of 2023 when Jefferson was out with injuries, Addison stepped up and showed that he was more than capable of carrying the load as a potential top target as well.
If Christian Watson’s agent can somehow finagle him a deal that’s worth up to $110 million over four years, what is Jordan Addison potentially worth? And can the Vikings pay it?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the answer to the second question is “yes” as long as Rob Brzezinski is the guy handling the cap issues for the Vikings. But given that Jefferson is still in his prime and is going to be getting paid like it for a few more years yet, the purple could potentially have a lot of money tied up in the wide receiver position in the coming years if they decide to go down that road.
