Tai Felton’s slow start is starting to look less like a bump in the road and more like a real roster conversation for the Vikings.
Minnesota is 3-0, but the second-year receiver has not pulled his weight on offense through the first three games of the 2026 season. Felton, the former 102nd overall pick, has been targeted only twice and has not made a catch in those first two games while logging 35 offensive snaps.
That’s a sharp drop-off from last season, when he caught all three of his targets for 25 yards across 46 offensive snaps. That production was acceptable for a WR4, but the Vikings were clearly expecting more growth in Year 2.
The issue isn’t that Minnesota has buried him on the sideline, either. Felton has already been on the field for 335 special teams snaps, and last week’s injury to Justin Jefferson opened the door for more work against Tampa Bay. He played 32 offensive snaps in that game, ran 23 routes, and still finished with zero offensive production.
Felton’s blocking has helped him stay involved. His 59.2 grade on Pro Football Focus ranks third among Vikings wideouts in run blocking.
But if he’s going to keep taking more than half the offensive snaps, Minnesota needs something in the passing game to go with it. At some point, that balance has to matter.
If the Vikings decide to slide him down the depth chart, there are a few directions they could go.
Jeshaun Jones is one option now that his three-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy is over. He’s eligible to return to the 53-man roster in Week 4, and while he hasn’t played an offensive snap for Minnesota since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2024, he at least has a chance to offer something new.
Jones put together a decent preseason, catching six passes for 80 yards in two games, and he averaged 13.5 yards on 151 catches during his time at the University of Maryland. With the Vikings sitting last in the NFL in passing yards, he would get a real opportunity to see whether he can jolt the offense.
Myles Price is another name worth watching. He was one of the biggest reasons Minnesota escaped with a seven-point win over the Buccaneers in Week 3, thanks to his 86-yard punt-return touchdown.
Since he’s already dressed on game day, the Vikings could expand his role beyond special teams. He played just four offensive snaps against Tampa Bay, including one run-blocking rep, but he did flash some playmaking ability in the preseason with 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches over five career preseason games.
Then there’s Odell Beckham Jr., who was released by the Giants on Tuesday. Beckham is no longer the superstar he once was, but he could still make sense as a fourth or fifth receiver if Minnesota wants a veteran option.
At 33 and on his fifth team in five years, he may be open to a smaller role and a reasonable salary. His name alone would bring attention, and he did show a little something this summer with seven catches for 76 yards and five first downs in three exhibition games, even though his latest Giants stint ended with one target and no catches.
In Other News...
Dolphins Vikings Game Had A Wild Referee Moment Fans Need To See
The Vikings meeting with the Dolphins had plenty going on, but one of the most replayed moments had nothing to do with a catch or a turnover. Late in the action, NFL referee Adrian Hill got caught in the middle of a tackle and was knocked to the turf by Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, a collision that quickly turned an ordinary officiating sequence into the kind of scene fans kept sending around.
Hill stayed down briefly before getting back to his feet and confronting Wilson, with another official stepping in to separate things. The clip spread quickly on social media and drew a mix of reactions, the sort of unintended sideline drama that can take on a life of its own long after the game settles into the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Keep Winning Despite One Offensive Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Vikings keep stacking wins even as the offense has struggled to put together the kind of full-field performance fans usually expect from a contender. Minnesota has won three straight games without cracking 250 total yards in any of them, an unusual run in the Super Bowl era, but the results have held up because the rest of the roster has carried its weight.
Under Kevin OConnell, the formula has leaned on a strong defense, steady special teams and a team-wide emphasis on avoiding turnovers. It is a reminder that ugly box scores do not always stop a good team, especially when the other phases are doing enough to keep the Vikings in control. [Read more 🡒]
Jauan Jennings Faces Real Vikings Pressure In A Huge Opportunity
With Justin Jefferson ruled out for the matchup with the Miami Dolphins because of an ankle injury, the Vikings are suddenly leaning on a receiver room that looks a lot different than it did a week ago. Jordan Addison is now set to step into the WR1 role, and the ripple effect pushes Jauan Jennings into a much larger WR2 assignment, giving him one of the clearest chances yet to justify the playing time he has already been getting.
Jennings arrived with real expectations after signing his recent contract, but the production has not matched the opportunity so far. Minnesota does not have the luxury of easing into this one, either, because the offense needs someone beyond Addison to help absorb Jeffersons absence and keep the passing game moving against Miami. For Jennings, it is the kind of spot that can change the tone around a season quickly, even if the full answer is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]