Questions Answered: Osborn as Eventual WR2, No Kicker Battle, Hairston Back
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the August 1st edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: Do you see K.J. Osborn taking over for Adam Thielen as the team’s WR2 by year’s end?
A: Without an injury to Thielen, no.
However, Osborn is entering Year Three, meaning he certainly has time beyond 2022 to take over for Thielen. He can lay seeds in 2022 to plot the passing of the torch.
And, of course, if injuries beset Thielen’s season, Osborn would be the next man up. His training camp is off to a hot start, which should encourage all Vikings fans. Remember this: Thielen will be 32 in three weeks; Osborn in 25. The seven-year gap there will enable Osborn’s time to come.
Q: After today’s comments by special teams coach Matt Daniels, it seems there will be no kicker battle. Are you comfortable with Greg Joseph as the 2022 kicker?
A: Yes, we’re comfortable and actually a little relieved to be sans kicker drama.
Joseph did enough in 2021 to rectify his Week 2 defecation. That moment against the Arizona Cardinals was brutal, but he bounced back adeptly — and for a Vikings kicker, that’s the important part. During the Mike Zimmer era, some kickers simply crumbled and never regained form.
Joseph can hit from distance — 7 for 9 from 50+ yards last year — showed a clutch gene after Week 2 and was pretty steady overall.
We’re content with another year of Joseph.
Q: With Nate Hairston back from injury, do you expect him to start, have meaningful snaps as a backup, or get cut before the season begins?
A: Hairston is on his fourth team since entering the league in 2017. While he’ll probably make the 53-man roster as a CB5 or so, he should not be slated for starter duty.
Hairston hasn’t played more than 50% of a defense’s snaps since the 2019 season with the New York Jets. He didn’t play much for Ed Donatell’s 2021 Broncos defense but did contribute on special teams — to the tune of 63% of special teams snaps.
You are correct, though, He did come off the Vikings Non-Football Injury on Monday.
