Vikings Elevate Veteran WR Help from the Practice Squad for Week 4
Last week, the Vikings lost one of their youngest wide receivers, Jalen Nailor, to injured reserve. He will remain there until at least Week 7 when the Vikings take on the San Francisco 49ers.
As a result, Minnesota is a bit short-handed at the receiver position. Only four players are on their 53-man roster at that spot: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, and Brandon Powell.
The team does have a plethora of players on their practice squad, though. After Trishton Jackson was elevated from the practice squad last week, the Vikings elevated veteran WR N’Keal Harry for this weekend’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
Vikings Elevate Veteran WR Help from Practice Squad
The news was announced by the Vikings themselves, and they tweeted the following on Saturday afternoon: “The #Vikings have elevated WR N’Keal Harry to the active roster for tomorrow’s game against Carolina.”
Harry had a strong training camp with the Vikings, but with the sheer depth at their wide receive position, Minnesota simply had no room for the former Patriots draft selection on their 53-man roster.
In the preseason opener, Harry caught two passes for 24 yards against the Seattle Seahawks. However, he suffered an injury during warmups prior to Minnesota’s matchup with the Titans, and he would miss the final two exhibition matchups.
It has been a bit of a strange NFL journey for Harry since being selected with the 32nd overall pick by the New England Patriots during the 2019 NFL Draft. He had an underwhelming career in New England, catching just 57 passes for 598 yards and 4 touchdowns during his three seasons there.
In 2022, Harry was traded to the Chicago Bears where he caught 7 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, but the Bears let him walk in free agency. He then landed in Minnesota, and now, the receiver will get his first regular season action of the 2023 season on Sunday.
Kickoff between the Panthers and Vikings is scheduled for 12 PM Central at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, October 1st.
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.