Will Justin Jefferson play in 2023 without a contract extension?

As the Minnesota Vikings inch closer to their 2023 regular-season opener on Sunday, the team and superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson haven't been able to agree to a contract extension this summer.

Minnesota awarded safety Josh Metellus with an extension on Thursday, and this news had some wondering if Jefferson will be next to get a new contract from the Vikings.

Minnesota has reportedly been trying to get a deal done with their top receiver before their first game of the 2023 season, but they're quickly running out of time.

What if the Vikings and Jefferson are unable to agree to an extension before Sunday? Would the young pass-catcher stage a hold-out until he is able to get a lucrative contract from Minnesota?

Luckily for the Vikings, it doesn't sound like Jefferson has any plans to sit out of any games this season if he doesn't get an extension from the team before their Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Thursday, Jefferson is reportedly "comfortable playing this year out in the absence of the right offer."

That's great news for Minnesota, as their offense would suffer tremendously this season without the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year out on the field. Jefferson is coming off an amazing performance in 2022, and it's possible that he hasn't even hit the prime of his career yet.

The Vikings wide receiver still has two years remaining on his current contract, with the possibility of an additional year if Minnesota picks up his fifth-year option in 2024.

So the Vikings aren't extremely desperate to get an extension done with Jefferson, but the longer they wait, the more expensive he's likely going to become.

At the beginning of the 2023 offseason, it felt like an extension for Jefferson was basically inevitable. Minnesota still has time to get a deal done, but locking down the best player on their roster now might have to wait until 2024.