Vikings Blockbuster Trade Idea Flips Jefferson for $115 Million WR, Starting CB, Draft Haul originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best groups of pass-catchers in the NFL and could potentially improve multiple positions of need on the roster if they’re willing to trade Justin Jefferson for a moderate step back at the No. 1 wide receiver slot.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports authored a trade pitch on Monday, July 7, which he described as “outlandish” but also contended is the most likely sort of deal in which Minnesota might decide to move the superstar wideout — and to which Jefferson would also agree.
The bones of the deal would see the Vikings move on from Jefferson for Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and his recent $115 million contract, Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II, a future first-round pick from Cincinnati and a future third-round selection from the Detroit Lions.
The Bengals would receive Jefferson from Minnesota and defensive end Julian Okwara from the Browns. Detroit would end up with All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson from Cincinnati, while Cleveland would get a fourth-round pick from Detroit for Newsome, who is entering the fifth-year team option on his rookie deal after the Browns made him a first-round selection in 2021 (No. 26 overall).
“The Vikings have rightly and swiftly extinguished any and all speculation regarding the wideout’s trade availability in the past, and [Jefferson] has done the same,” Benjamin wrote. “But the one place he might be [okay] moving is Cincinnati, for the chance at reuniting with former LSU stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals, meanwhile, have expensive trade chips of their own in Higgins and Hendrickson, the latter of whom has been angling for a pay raise — or move out of town — for years.”
In Benjamin’s scenario, Minnesota would line Higgins up alongside third-year wideout Jordan Addison and two-time Pro-Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. Newsome would join a secondary that will otherwise likely rely on former backup cornerbacks Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah to start on the outside in Week 1.
The first- and third-round picks included in the hypothetical deal are from quality teams likely to finish near the back end of the draft should they stay relatively healthy this season. However, the combined value of those selections remains significant as Minnesota stares down the barrel of a $60 million salary cap deficit in 2026 that could mean parting ways with valuable players currently on the roster and create a need to replace them with talent playing on cheaper salaries.
Related: Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Reacts to Major Aaron Jones Announcement
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.