Lost in the Shuffle, The Vikings Said Goodbye to a Receiver
The Vikings were keen to welcome receiver Tim Jones to the Twin Cities during the offseason.
Largely a special teams helper rather than a playmaker on offense, Jones established his NFL career with the Jaguars. He then became a Viking, moving back and forth between the roster and practice squad. Craig Peters of the team website offered the update about the recent development: “In order to make room for [offensive tackle Matt] Waletzko, the Vikings released receiver Tim Jones, who had spent time this season on Minnesota’s 53-man roster and the practice squad. Jones played six offensive snaps and 25 on special teams.”
The Vikings Say Goodbye to Tim Jones
Recently, PurplePTSD discussed the issue due to Minnesota welcoming offensive tackle Matt Waletzko.
Shaving off some WR depth makes sense given what has taken place at the position: “Operating at the top of the position is Justin Jefferson. Jordan Addison is back from suspension, someone who exploded for 4 catches for 114 yards in Week 4 (he likely would have scored had the ball not been underthrown). There’s then Jalen Nailor working as the WR3 while Adam Thielen is the WR4. Both of Tai Felton (WR5) and Myles Price (WR6) are on the roster, capable of playing on offense but finding employment mostly due to special teams.”
Given where the receiver room stands, Minnesota’s decision makes some sense. Do a -1 at a position of strength to do a +1 at a position of weakness. Reasonable math.
As the recent news hints, Tim Jones has been working through what could be described as a topsy-turvy 2025. Consider what his roster status has looked like since the NFL-wide cuts in late August:
- August 26th — Jones Makes the 53
- August 27th — Jones Drops Down to the Practice Squad
- September 8th — Jones Gets Elevated for the Week 1 Game
- September 11th — Jones Gets Signed to the 53
- September 23rd — Jones Sees His Contract Terminated
- September 24th — Jones Gets Signed to the Practice Squad
- September 30th — Jones is Cut from the Practice Squad
Step back to assess the roster craziness. Clearly, there has been some desire for the Vikings to find a way to fit Jones into the game plan. He has played some and been kept around as a practice squader. But then there’s another reality at work: moving on from Jones to address another area hasn’t been something the Vikings have shied away from.
In short, Jones is seen as being valuable but not indispensable.
As a result, there was some belief from PurplePTSD that only a monstrous performance in Week 3 could keep him on the roster. The unfortunate development? Just that Jones didn’t get to dress for the game even though he was on the roster. Maybe the writing has been on the wall for a little while.
The Vikings are confronting a very poor situation along the offensive line. All of Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, and Brian O’Neill will be absent for Week 5. Even worse is that backup center Michael Jurgens didn’t practice on Wednesday.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert commented on the o-line issue: “Christian Darrisaw took his weekly day of veteran rest, so a very thin O-line today. Too early to know Jurgens’ prognosis, but Blake Brandel had/has been slated to start at LG. So if Brandel has to play C on Sunday, the Vikings would be down to C3, LG3 and RT2 (Justin Skule).”
Welcoming more o-line help, even at the cost of a receiver who was inspiring some optimism, makes sense.
Tim Jones is 27. The receiver offers pretty good size at 6’1″ and 200 pounds. Being able to block on offense while being a helper on special teams means he’ll find employment somewhere in the NFL, if only on a practice squad.
In time, perhaps, Jones will find his way back to the Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
