Once Promising Vikings Receiver Climbs from North to North, Joining Rival Pro League
Malik Knowles was a once promising Vikings receiver, one who inspired some optimism as someone who could offer a lift to the offense and special teams.
The tall receiver has earned a contract in Canada with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Consider the simple, matter-of-fact update: “The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American wide receiver Malik Knowles.” Shining in Canada’s pro football league could lead to another shot in the NFL.
Former Vikings Receiver Malik Knowles Signed in CFL
Standing at 6’2″ and weighing 196 pounds, Malik Knowles possesses an excellent build to play receiver.
Accordingly, the NFL has demonstrated interest in employing him. He got his start with the Vikings, signing a deal as an undrafted free agent. Getting him to Minnesota involved promising $75,000 in guaranteed money. The medium amount suggests that there was at least some interest from other teams, prompting the Vikings to kick over some compensation to entice him toward moving to the Twin Cities (just an educated guess).
Part of the difficulty within his football journey is that he got hurt as a rookie. He stuck around Minnesota in the 2024 offseason, but couldn’t get onto the final roster in Minnesota. He nevertheless offered enough upside to get some more NFL chances.
The Green Bay Packers gave him a shot. Afterwards, the San Francisco 49ers brought him to town. In neither location was Knowles able to carve out a full-time, lasting job. San Francisco moved on in late August of 2025.
In 2022, Knowles played college ball at Kansas State. He turned 48 catches into 725 yards, which comes in at a 15.1 yards-per-catch average. There were 2 touchdowns through the air. Even more promising is that Knowles had 8 runs go for 164 ground yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. Quite possibly, Knowles could grow into becoming a gadget player on offense as someone capable of doing several things well.
Dig down a touch further and one will see more upside. On specials, Malik Knowles had 23 kickoff returns go for 592 yards. Note that he did even better the year prior, turning his 20 kickoff returns into 662 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Recently, the Vikings found the player they were looking by signing Knowles in Myles Price, a college receiver who is employed in the Twin Cities due to an ability to shine on specials. Price doesn’t offer the same size, but he’s sturdy on his feet and can quickly accelerate.
Oh, and consider that Minnesota is keen to search into every nook and cranny of football. That desire has led to searching in the CFL for talent. Other teams are doing similarly.
In other words, Knowles isn’t at the end of his football pilgrimage. Savvy NFL front offices look north for talent, so the former Vikings receiver could very well attract some attention if he proves capable of shining as a Roughrider. After all, he’s still only 25, meaning he has several years of good ball left in his legs and lungs. Be dominant in Canada and then look for the next shot in America.
Saskatchewan is a football hotbed in Canada, akin to playing ball in Texas or Alabama in the States. As a result, the tall and speedy receiver will have a shot to turn heads within a prominent team in the CFL, the pro football league in the true north.
