Vikings Receiver’s Big Chance Just Vanished
The Minnesota Vikings have made a big move to acquire Adam Thielen from the Carolina Panthers. That makes sense from a football perspective, and of course, seeing the hometown hero wearing the purple jersey again is a feel-good story.
Vikings Receiver’s Big Chance Just Vanished
By making that happen, the Vikings have robbed Jalen Nailor of his big opportunity to position himself for next offseason.
Jalen Nailor’s Crucial Season
Wideout Nailor enters the fourth season of his NFL career. That means he’s in the final year of the rookie contract he signed as a 2022 sixth-rounder coming out of Michigan State. Projected to be an unrestricted free agent next March, Nailor certainly hoped he could replicate last year’s statistics and potentially even take advantage of Jordan Addison’s suspension.
Nailor was in a prime position to take over as Minnesota’s WR2, something he did early last season when Addison was sidelined with an injury, and he was quite productive, starting the season with three straight games with one touchdown catch.
Throughout the season, he logged 28 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns, which is enough to draw some attention and interest as a decent addition to someone’s depleted room or become a team’s primary deep threat due to his speed.
The New Rotation
Stuck in the WR4 role, he’ll have a hard time coming close to those numbers, though. Obviously, Justin Jefferson remains WR1 in Minnesota’s offense. Thielen will be the WR2 for the first three games, as he’s already listed there on the team’s unofficial depth chart.
Once Addison is back, he’ll reclaim his WR2 job as an outside receiver, and Thielen enters the lineup whenever Kevin O’Connell needs a third (or a blocker). The Vikings haven’t really supported a WR4 under O’Connell. Guys like Brandon Powell were good for 100 yards a year, but that can’t be Nailor’s goal.
And the wide receivers aren’t the only guys who will hurt his usage.
Hockenson’s Presence
Tight end T.J. Hockenson had a full offseason to get back to the prime version he was prior to his knee injury suffered late in the 2023 season. He missed the first half of 2024, another reason for Nailor’s improved numbers.
Despite not nearly reaching 100%, Hockenson became a target hog for the Vikings, and he very clearly stole Nailor’s usage because the play-caller insisted on more plays with two tight ends and only two receivers. While he had a strong end to the season with productive games in Week 17 and 18, as well as in the playoffs, Nailor’s production vanished for an eight-game stretch with only 13 total targets prior to those explosions.
The Injury
Long story short, with Jefferson, Thielen, eventually Addison, and Hockenson, there are already four mouths to feed, and it should be noted that the Vikings are expected to lean more on the running game with J.J. McCarthy spreading the ball around and no longer Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins.
Another wrinkle is Nailor’s hand injury. He jammed his hand in the joint during practices a couple of weeks ago and reportedly underwent surgery. His status for Week 1 is in question.
Barring injuries piling up, it’s hard to see Nailor playing much of a role in the upcoming season.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.