Vikings Options at Wide Receiver Amidst Room’s Struggles
With injuries to Rondale Moore and Jalen Nailor, as well as Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension he must serve to begin the 2025 season, the Vikings seem likely to add a player to the wide receiver room. Although Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver on planet Earth, he can’t exactly do it all on his own if Nailor truly can’t go for opening night in Chicago.
That’s exactly what he would have to do if the current healthy top three receivers on the Vikings, in himself, Tai Felton, and Lucky Jackson, were to take the field together come Week 1.
The Vikings went into training camp with an awesome-looking receiver room:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Rondale Moore
- Tai Felton
Vikings’ Wide Receiver Misfortune
In the last couple of weeks, however, things have taken a turn. We knew Addison would eventually get levied a suspension for his off-field antics in 2024, but what we didn’t know would come next. Moore, on a punt return and his first NFL touch since he dislocated his right kneecap in Atlanta during training camp in 2024, keeping him out for the season, suffered a significant left knee injury during the Vikings’ first preseason game against the Texans.
Jalen Nailor also suffered an injury, coming in one of the joint practices against the New England Patriots, where he “kinda jammed his hand at one point,” via head coach Kevin O’Connell. His status is unknown, though the lack of information regarding his injury makes things feel a touch grim.
Rookie WR Tai Felton didn’t inspire a ton of confidence during the actual game against the Patriots. Though it didn’t come at his natural position of wide receiver, so there are no real knocks to his actual game and development, he did cough up a fumble on a kick return that was thankfully recovered by the good guys.
Vikings’ Options at Wideout
So, where do the purple and gold go from here?
Thankfully, there are a couple names still available on the free agency market that have just been waiting for receivers around the league to open up spots for them to take advantage of, whether it be by poor play or by injury. Morbid, but true.
One guy, the biggest name of the available pool of wide receiver talent, is former first-round pick and lifelong friend of former Vikings’ QB Teddy Bridgewater, Amari Cooper. Cooper began 2024 in Cleveland with the Browns before he was traded to the Buffalo Bills. It wasn’t a great year for the vet, as he only accumulated 44 catches for 547 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Buffalo decided not to give him the benefit of the doubt of getting added to a new roster mid-season, making it obvious they saw him as a rental for a potential Super Bowl run, and let him hit free agency. In 2023 with the Browns, the last time he was with one team all year long and didn’t have to learn a brand new playbook, Cooper racked up 1,250 yards and 5 touchdowns in 15 games. In 17 games in 2022 with the Browns, Cooper racked up 1,160 yards and 9 touchdowns in 17 games.
Amari Cooper would be the best option, considering the “next best” option would be Gabe Davis, who is recovering from a torn meniscus suffered in November with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Further down the list, we have Nelson Agholor, Tyler Boyd, Jamison Crowder, and former Viking Brandon Powell.
