Vikings Shake Up the WR Room
The Minnesota Vikings’ receiver group has been in the headlines in the past couple of months, with Jordan Addison finally drawing his suspension. Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor each had an injury scare in training camp, and the desperate Vikings traded for hometown boy, Adam Thielen.
Vikings Shake Up the WR Room
On Tuesday, the club announced some roster moves that included the departure of two pass-catchers.
On the official team website, Vikings writer Craig Peters noted, “Minnesota on Tuesday announced it has terminated the contract of receiver Tim Jones, who joined the Vikings this offseason. Jones played 25 special teams snaps and six offensive snaps in Minnesota’s first two games of 2025.”
Jones was hired in March, advertised as a special-teams ace who could fill the void left by Trent Sherfield. The veteran had signed with the Broncos in free agency. Jones’ previous employer, the Jacksonville Jaguars, didn’t re-sign him under their new regime, and the Vikings wanted to upgrade the third phase, so why not get as many experienced special teamers in the building as possible?
In the preseason, Jones struggled with special-teams penalties, which certainly raised some eyebrows. He was released on August 27 and immediately re-signed to the practice squad. Two weeks ago, the Vikings signed him to the 53-man roster when they had an opening due to Ty Chandler’s and Blake Cashman’s IR stints.
As a vested veteran, he didn’t have to go through waivers, and the Vikes just re-signed him to the practice squad a day later. His Vikings resume shows six offensive snaps and 25 on special teams in two appearances.
Throughout his 53 career games, Jones has recorded 17 receptions for 154 yards. He has also made six career tackles.
Jones’ roster spot will go to Jordan Addison, who has completed his three-game suspension and will quickly reclaim his WR2 spot. His first opportunity to shine will come on Sunday, when the Vikings will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in an overseas matchup. Minnesota has yet to lose a game in Europe, winning all four of them.
That’s not the only move, however. Lucky Jackson, a third-year practice squad player, was released. Jackson appeared in three games in 2023, but he hasn’t had a catch in his career. In training camp, there was some buzz surrounding the 28-year-old, as he consistently received first-team reps with Justin Jefferson sidelined and Rondale Moore suffering his season-ending knee injury.
He seemed to be clearly ahead of anyone not named Jefferson, Addison, and Nailor, but to the surprise of Skol Nation, he was cut after the preseason and once again had to accept the spot on the practice squad.
The current wide receiver room includes:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Adam Thielen
- Tai Felton
- Myles Price
Rookie Felton has quickly developed into the special teams ace that folks wanted Jones to be, while Price is the team’s kick and punt returner.
The two receivers (in addition to Tim Jones) on the practice squad are Jeshaun Jones, a 2024 undrafted rookie, and Dontae Fleming, who signed after this year’s draft.
Jackson could return in the future, but for now, he’s gone.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.