There are a handful of NFL superstars on really bad teams, going nowhere, who are going to want out of town in a few months.
We saw this offseason that those types of players can make the difference in being a Super Bowl contender or not, with the Los Angeles Rams trading for edge rusher and 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and the New England Patriots trading for 3-time NFL All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers truly fancy themselves Super Bowl contenders — even just NFC hopefuls — then it’s fair to ask why the Buccaneers’ name never comes up when those big-time trade rumors are floating about or why they never seem to make said moves.
That could all change with 1 big move.
CBS Sports NFL reporter Garrett Podell put out a list of 5 NFL superstars who could be looking for new homes in the near future, and it’s 1 of them — Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson — who Tampa Bay should mortgage its entire future on, if given the opportunity.
Greatest NFL Receiving Total Through 1st 5 Seasons
Jefferson’s 7,432 receiving yards over his 1st 5 seasons are the most by any player in NFL history. Which is ironic, considering he’s now being forced to wait out a headache-inducing quarterback battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to be the starter.
“The compensation (for Jefferson) is a first-round pick and third-round pick,” Podell wrote. “It’s a similar package to the one the Patriots used to acquire Brown from the Eagles, but instead of a fifth-round pick, Minnesota gets a third-round draft choice since Jefferson doesn’t come with the same attitude and fluidity questions.”
Jefferson is playing on a 4-year, $130 million contract extension he signed before the 2024 season that runs through the end of 2028.
The Buccaneers would get a steal on Jefferson in 2026 and 2027, when he’s due $25.5 million and $30 million, then can give him a new contract extension before the 2028 season, when he would be in the last year of his current deal.
Buccaneers Could Sweeten Pot in Jefferson Trade
There’s another way the Buccaneers might be able to pull off a trade for Jefferson — by offering up essentially anyone on their roster save for offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and 2026 1st-round pick Rueben Bain Jr.
In all likelihood, that might mean something more along the lines of trading a 1st-round pick and veteran wide receiver Chris Godwin to the Vikings, or, if the Buccaneers really wanted to get funky, they could offer wide receiver and 2025 1st-round pick Emegka Egbuka and a 2027 3rd-round pick.
All of this assumes 2 very critical things. First, the Buccaneers actually show they’re somewhat competent. Second, the Vikings go completely in the tank. Both of which seem equally as possible at this point.
Podell’s trade pitch put the Las Vegas Raiders as the No. 1 team who should try to make a move for Jefferson, which begs another question. If the Raiders, 1 of the NFL’s very worst franchises, would be willing to make a deal for Jefferson, why wouldn’t the Buccaneers?
“Who says no??” Raiders Lead posted on its official X account. “With rumors circulating of a potential Justin Jefferson trade and (Podell) publishing a mock trade of Jefferson being traded to the Raiders, would you be willing to give up a 1st and a 3rd to make it happen? If available, the Raiders should most definitely attempt to trade for Justin Jefferson. I would be completely fine with this trade; I think getting a star WR 1 alongside Fernandon Mendoza would be massive and worth the picks! Do you agree?”
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