Could the Minnesota Vikings be in the process of trading Justin Jefferson to the Cincinnati Bengals?

Former Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert posed the possibility on social media Wednesday morning, posting a graphic of Cincinnati’s Super Bowl odds and saying “sources telling me Jefferson to Cincy is in motion.”

It’s hard to tell if Eifert is being serious or not. He could obviously be joking, but with the Vikings losing quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency and the team still not agreeing to a new contract with Jefferson, a trade could very well be on the table.

But would the Bengals represent a realistic landing spot for the superstar wide receiver?

Cincinnati already has to worry about paying Ja’Marr Chase, and it just slapped a franchise tag on Tee Higgins, who subsequently asked for a trade.

Is there a world in which the Bengals and Vikings could swap Jefferson and Higgins?

It may sound good on paper, but when you consider the financial ramifications that would ensue for both sides, it doesn’t make too much sense.

Cincy probably does not want to pay two receivers big money, which is why it is having such a hard time with Higgins at the moment. Meanwhile, if Minnesota is going to hand out a significant contract to a wide out, wouldn’t it pay Jefferson before Higgins?

The idea of of a Jefferson trade is not out of the realm of possibility. Heck, it may even reach a point where Jefferson asks to be dealt.

But the Bengals do not seem to fit the criteria for a potential destination.

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