The Bird Tour Continues for Former Vikings Receiver Laquon Treadwell
Josh Frey
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Laquon Treadwell is one of the more infamous draft picks in recent Vikings memory. In 2016, Minnesota was in need of some receiver help for QB Teddy Bridgewater, so they used the 23rd overall pick on Treadwell (the same pick that Minnesota used this spring on Jordan Addison) after a promising collegiate career at Ole Miss, including a 2015 season where he caught 82 passes for 1153 yards and 11 TDs.
Well, Treadwell would never come close to realizing that first-round potential with the Vikings.
The receiver played just nine games in his rookie year of 2016. The rookie receiver couldn’t find playing time in a passing offense headlined by Stefon Diggs, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kyle Rudolph, and Adam Thielen. He was targeted only three times throughout the year and caught one pass for 15 yards.
The Vikings opted not to re-sign Treadwell when his contract expired in 2020, and since then, he’s bounced around the league which has included a tour of many of the NFL’s bird-themed teams. His tenure in Minnesota ended with a total of 65 receptions for 702 yards and just two touchdown receptions in 53 games (including 16 starts) over the course of four years.
On Monday, that bird tour continued for the former Vikings receiver as Tom Pelissero tweeted this afternoon: “The Ravens are adding another receiver: They’ve agreed to terms with onetime Vikings first-round pick Laquon Treadwell on a one-year deal, his agent Michael Portner said.”
This is now the fourth of the five NFL teams with a bird mascot that Treadwell has spent time with. His bird tour began in 2020 after the Vikings opted not to re-sign him when his contract expired. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons for that 2020 season, playing in five games and snagging six receptions for 49 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In 2021, Treadwell took a hiatus from the bird tour and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars. To date, this was his best season in the NFL, recording 33 catches for 454 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 50+ receiving yards in six consecutive games.
Treadwell signed with the New England Patriots ahead of the preseason in 2022 and also had a stint with the Arizona Cardinals that ended just prior to their game against the Vikings.
Days later, Treadwell joined the Seahawks practice squad where he appeared in six games during the regular season, catching six passes for 42 yards. He also played a total of 14 snaps during Seattle’s Wild Card loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Now, his contract with the Ravens marks four of the five bird-themed teams that Treadwell has signed with. The only team that remains is the Philadelphia Eagles, who represented the NFC in the Super Bowl during 2022.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.