According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers “inquired” with the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason about a possible transfer of wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

At the time, it looked like the Niners needed a new No. 1 wide receiver as Brandon Aiyuk was pushing for a new contract. Not only did Jefferson stay in Minnesota, but Aiyuk also signed a four-year contract extension with San Francisco.

Schefter reported that the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts had “some interest” in Jefferson, but the Vikings broke off talks.

Like Aiyuk, Jefferson had a lot of contractual intrigue that made a trade this summer at least theoretically possible. Minnesota settled the matter by signing him to a new contract worth a total of $140 million.

This made the 25-year-old the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. During training camp, he told reporters that his injury-plagued 2023 season influenced his approach to this year.

“I’m so scared of it happening again that I’m overprotective,” Jefferson said. “I’m just trying to take proper care of my body and find new things that I can implement in my day-to-day life that will help me better during the season. I’ve definitely been working on my hamstrings a little bit more to make sure I’m injury-proof.”

A right thigh injury limited Jefferson to 10 games in 2023. During an episode of the Netflix reality series RecipientIt turned out to be a “severe” strain, which normally requires eight to ten weeks to recover from.

Despite his injury, Jefferson finished the year with 68 catches for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns, his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season. He now holds the NFL record for most receiving yards by a player in his first four years in the league, with 5,899 yards.

Minnesota looks a little different this year following the departure of longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons after six seasons with the Vikings. The team signed veteran backup Sam Darnold and drafted former Michigan signal-caller JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in April. Darnold was named the starter after McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus.

Jefferson’s presence on the field is even more important because Darnold needs as much talent around him as possible. The Vikings need to keep the star wideout healthy if they want to make it back to the playoffs.