It’s good to have a sense of humor if you’re a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, if only as a mechanism to deal with all the ridiculous trade ideas swirling around.
The latest takes all the cake. A new four-team trade proposal courtesy of CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin has Justin Jefferson, arguably the league’s premier wideout, landing in Cincinnati in exchange for Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II and a package of 2026 draft picks including future first- and third-rounders.
To be fair, Benjamin wanted to know what “some of the wildest NBA-style deals” would look like in the NFL, and he based this trade proposal off that notion.
“These trades will almost certainly never come to fruition, but beyond the shock of the names included, they just might make some sense for all sides,” Benjamin wrote on July 7, adding: “if only NFL teams were aggressive enough to consider them.”
A Closer Look at CBS Sports’ Justin Jefferson-Tee Higgins Trade Proposal
Here’s a look at the full trade proposal from Benjamin, which also involves Minnesota’s NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions:
- Bengals get: WR Justin Jefferson (Vikings), DE Julian Okwara (Browns)
- Vikings get: WR Tee Higgins (Bengals), CB Greg Newsome II (Browns), 2026 first-round pick (Bengals), 2026 third-round pick (Lions)
- Lions get: EDGE Trey Hendrickson (Bengals)
- Browns get: 2026 fourth-round pick (Lions)
Oof. That’s a lot, and Benjamin knows it.
“This might be the most outlandish of the bunch, if only because Jefferson is as close to untouchable as anyone in the NFL,” he noted. “The Vikings have rightly and swiftly extinguished any and all speculation regarding the wideout’s trade availability in the past, and ‘Jets’ has done the same.”
Still, he thinks the Bengals are the one team Jefferson would be open to being traded to.
“The one place he might be OK moving is Cincinnati, for the chance at reuniting with former LSU stars Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase,” Benjamin noted.
“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. Can you imagine Burrow’s delight if given the chance to capitalize on a title window with the two best pass catchers in the game?”
Barring a Miracle, the Vikings Will Never Move Jefferson
Jefferson has emerged as arguably the most dynamic wide receiver of his generation. In his rookie year with Minnesota, he exploded onto the scene with 1,400 receiving yards—an NFL record at the time for a rookie.
He followed that up with an even more dominant sophomore campaign, posting 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021. But it was 2022 that solidified his superstar status: Jefferson led the league in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809), earning First-Team All-Pro honors and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. Despite injuries limiting his 2023 and 2024 campaigns, his per-game production has remained elite, cementing his status as a generational talent.
Still just 25 years old, Jefferson has already signed a $140 million extension, as the Vikes plan on keeping him around as long as possible. Trading him immediately after that deal would not only alienate fans, but potentially destabilize the locker room and call into question the direction of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s regime.
For these reasons and more, Jefferson is one of the rare truly untradable players in the NFL. Unless Jefferson wanted to force his way out, he’ll be clad in purple and gold for the foreseeable future.
