The Vikings are sitting on an unbeaten record during the bye, but the wide receiver room still has a hole in it, and it’s hard to ignore.
Justin Jefferson is doing Justin Jefferson things. After that, the picture gets messy.
Jordan Addison had started to find his rhythm before the hamstring injury that’s kept him out since Week 4. Jauan Jennings hasn’t worked out so far.
Tai Felton has been hard to find, and Myles Price, who fumbled against the Saints last week, has also been largely quiet. That leaves Minnesota looking thin enough at the position that general manager Nolan Teasley may need to keep scanning for help.
One name that just became available is Darius Slayton. The Colts released the veteran receiver Friday morning after signing him last month, two weeks after the Giants let him go. Indianapolis had brought him in with top wideout Alec Pierce dealing with a foot injury, but Slayton never played a game for the Colts and was inactive in Week 5 because of a knee injury.
If that knee issue isn’t a major concern, Minnesota ought to at least explore the fit.
Slayton spent seven seasons with the Giants after being drafted 171st overall in 2019, and he built a steady résumé there. He missed 11 regular-season games, but he also topped 700 receiving yards four times and averaged 651.3 receiving yards over his last four seasons. His speed has always been part of the appeal, and his 4.39-second 40-yard dash time still jumps off the page.
That kind of production would matter in a Vikings offense that, beyond Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson, doesn’t have another player on pace to clear 700 receiving yards this season.
Slayton’s last full season was a useful one: 37 catches, 538 receiving yards and a touchdown in 14 games, with 14.5 yards per catch. That’s just a touch below his career mark of 15.0 yards per reception. The four penalties he drew last season are worth noting, but that’s also the sort of issue Kevin O’Connell can clean up.
There’s another reason Slayton makes sense for Minnesota: he brings the kind of locker-room presence teams value. He won the 2025 Alan Page Community Award for his work in the New York area, an honor described as “the NFLPA’s highest honor.” That sort of leadership doesn’t hurt, especially with a team that already added Odell Beckham Jr. to the practice squad.
The Vikings could use another veteran presence down there. Dillon Bell and Michael Briscoe have promise, but both are undrafted rookies. Jeshaun Jones just logged his first career catch against the Saints, but he still played more special teams snaps (11) than offensive snaps (six).
Slayton wouldn’t walk in as a massive upgrade, but he would bring 106 career games and 78 starts worth of experience. That matters if Minnesota needs somebody who can handle a late-season game with real pressure attached. It matters even more when you compare that to asking an undrafted rookie to do the same.
With injuries piling up around the league, veteran receivers like Slayton won’t stay on the market forever. The bye week gives the Vikings a little breathing room, and if they’re paying attention, they’ll use it to make the call.
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One name that has come up in the conversation is Tampa Bay veteran guard Ben Bredeson, whose experience and ability to move around the line make him a logical fit for a team looking for stability. Nothing has been finalized, and any deal would come down to draft capital and contract considerations, but the fact that Minnesota is even exploring that kind of option says plenty about how urgent the line situation has become. [Read more 🡒]