The Facts: It seems only a matter of time before Jefferson becomes the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press reports. Asked on Tuesday morning at the NFL Combine about a potential contract extension for Jefferson this offseason, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made himself clear. “I don’t want to be the Vikings GM without this guy on our team,” he said from Indianapolis. “It’s a priority.”

Diehards Line:The Vikings still need to move some money around to be able to afford the contract extension, which is why Adofo-Mensah quickly followed his answer by subtly mentioning the order in which things need to happen this offseason. As things stand, the Vikings are roughly $24 million in the red, according to OverTheCap.com, meaning they need to restructure some contracts to make everything work. The biggest name to keep an eye on is quarterback Kirk Cousins, who enters the final year of his contract with a $36.25 million cap hit, which could be lowered if the Vikings decide to extend his deal this offseason. If the Vikings don’t to commit to Cousins with a long-term deal, they will have a difficult time freeing up cap space. Regardless, it’s clear the Vikings have every intention of keeping the 24-year-old Jefferson around for the foreseeable future. He led the NFL with 128 receptions and 1,809 yards last season, emerging as arguably the best player at the position, and was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.