Getty Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison is dealing with uncertainty of multiple fronts.
Enough so that it could spur the Minnesota Vikings to seek potential alternative options opposite No. 1 option Justin Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson atop the pecking order.
Addison is dealing with an ankle injury, that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell downplayed. Addison also faces a possible suspension following his second legal run-in since entering the NFL. Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department suggests they explore external options in free agency.
Specifically, the B/R’s scouts suggest adding former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow.
“The Vikings caught a case of the injury bug last week as wide receivers Jordan Addison and Thayer Thomas went down in Wednesday’s practice,” Bleacher Report’s scouts wrote on August 19. “While Addison should be alright, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell … the team’s depth at the position is being tested.
“The offense could also use another potential third receiver, a role that Renfrow has experience filling. The 2021 Pro Bowler hasn’t been the same since that season, but at this point, it might be worth it for the coaching staff to bring him in as a camp body at the least.”
Hunter Renfrow evading defender after defender
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Renfrow, 28, caught 25 of 37 targets thrown his way for 255 yards and zero touchdowns in 2023. Those were all career-low numbers.
Renfrow is coming off of back-to-back down seasons, posting a 36-330-2 line in 2022.
Hunter Renfrow Could Fill Dual Roles for Vikings
GettyHunter Renfrow #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Adding Renfrow in free agency could make sense for the Vikings as Addison’s fate is in limbo. He has a court date set for October 7 stemming from his arrest for suspicion of DUI after he was found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle outside of Los Angeles International Airport in July.
He was also cited for reckless driving after going 140 miles per hour in a 55-mile-per-hour zone in St. Paul in July 2023.
Addison, the No. 23 overall pick of the 2023 draft was still a big part of the Vikings’ offense.
He caught 70 passes for 911 years and 10 scores as a rookie. Only three players have produced similar lines in their first seasons in NFL history, per Stathead. His absence would leave a void that Renfrow could fill.
The Raiders wideout had 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Renfrow can play in the slot alongside Addison and Jefferson if he is signed in free agency.
Vikings Could Choose In-House Options Over Free Agency
GettyHunter Renfrow #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Vikings have several in-house options they could opt for if Addison misses time, including Super Bowl champion Brandon Powell, coaching-staff favorite Jalen Nailor, and 2024 free agent pickup Trent Sherfield. They also signed former Raider Justin Hall on August 19.
Those options and the different skill sets they offer could be more appealing to the Vikings rather than spending to bring Renfrow in or someone else in free agency.
He turns 29 years old in December and could be looking for a more sure-fire playoff contender.
The Vikings went 1-6 to end the 2023 season. They have $19.6 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. The Raiders cut Renfrow in March. He was entering the final year of a two-year, $31.7 million contract extension signed in 2022 and has made $24.4 million in his career.
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Vikings Urged to Sign $24 Million Pro Bowl Playmaker in Free Agency