Vikings Urged to Target Veteran Free Agents Amid WR Injury Issues
Despite having one of the NFL’s elite wideouts, the Minnesota Vikings have a receiver problem and are being urged to sign a veteran.
Justin Jefferson has missed a considerable amount of time this training camp, nursing a hamstring injury that he suffered on July 24. And Rondale Moore, hoping for a comeback after not playing last season, had his 2025 season end after just one preseason play, when he suffered a knee injury again.
The Vikings will also be without Jordan Addison, who has been suspended for the first three games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy related to a DUI in 2024. Jalen Nailor, the man vying for the No. 3 receiver spot, injured his hand at practice on August 14.
Minnesota currently has nine other receivers on the roster: Silas Bolden, Tai Felton, Dontae Fleming, Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones, Tim Jones, Robert Lewis, Myles Price and Thayer Thomas. Inevitably, some will need to be cut to meet roster regulations and all the healthy receivers are largely unknowns.
Josh Frey with Vikings Territory suggests four veteran receivers that should be on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s radar, as youth, inexperience and unfortunate injuries have boiled over in Minnesota, while veteran presence to provide leadership in the receiver room could be just what the Vikings need.
2 Veterans With Superstar Potential Remain Available: Odell Beckham Jr. & Amari Cooper
Odell Beckham Jr., 32, remains a free agent less than three weeks out from the NFL regular season. After becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach both 200 career receptions and 4,000 career receiving yards, Beckham’s production dropped significantly after being traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams when Beckham was on the Super Bowl champion 2021 squad. And Jefferson, a LSU alum like Beckham, would likely be thrilled with the signing.
Amari Cooper, 31, also remains unsigned. Cooper has the production to be considered the best veteran receiver available in the league right now — he’s eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards seven out of his first 10 seasons. He had a career-high 1,250 receiving yards in 2023 for the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings Could Also Consider 2 Reliable Targets Who Remain Free Agents: Gabe Davis & Tyler Boyd
On the contrary, the youngest, that is, the most valuable receiver available, is Gabe Davis, who at 26 was a reliable target for MVP Josh Allen during his time with the Buffalo Bills. Last year, Davis was with the Jacksonville Jaguars and battled through injuries most of the season.
“I had torn my PCL meniscus. I had torn it in the 17th game in 2023 in Buffalo. And then signed with Jacksonville and [explicit] never got back right,” Davis said on the “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” show earlier this week.
Tyler Boyd, 30, who has seen his production decline each of the last five seasons, could recapture that success with O’Connell, like he had with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 and 2019, when he had 1,000-yard seasons.
