The Minnesota Vikings appear to be front runners to land a new running back or even quarterback before the league’s trade deadline next Tuesday. But pundits won’t rule out the Vikings adding a receiver either.
At least CBS Sports’s Garrett Podell presented that possibility to start this week. On Monday, Podell named the Vikings one of five logical deadline destinations for Dallas Cowboys wideout George Pickens.
“Despite being 6-1 and the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings have the sixth-lowest scoring offense (20.0 points per game) in the entire NFL. Their lack of rhythm in the passing game is a major reason for that, as their Kyler Murray-quarterbacked passing attack is averaging the second-fewest passing yards per game (165.6) in the entire NFL,” wrote Podell.
“Yes, Minnesota has 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson and former first-round pick Jordan Addison at wide receiver, but its offense could clearly use another weapon to help Murray find his groove as a Viking.
They have been rumored to be in pursuit of Jonathan Taylor, but perhaps Pickens could also help fix the issues on the offensive side of the ball.
Trade rumors have heated up around Pickens as of late, especially since the Cowboys lost in Week 8. Pickens had just two catches on four targets in the 33-30 overtime defeat.
This fall, the 25-year-old wideout is playing on the franchise tag. Spotrac projected Pickens to be worth $138 million on a four-year contract this upcoming offseason.
Could the Vikings Target WR George Pickens Before NFL Trade Deadline?
With the status of Minnesota’s offense and defense, anything seems possible for the Vikings at the trade deadline.
After Week 8, the Vikings sit first in points allowed and second in yards yielded on defense. On the other side of the ball, they are bottom 10 in most categories, including bottom six in scoring and total yards.
As Podell indicated, the Vikings are second-to-last in passing yards per contest.
Using those rankings to support arguments, pundits have called for the Vikings to pursue any skilled-position player in a trade. Pickens is one of the bigger names potentially available.
Last season, Pickens made second-team All-Pro and his first Pro Bowl with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The wideout showed that kind of potential over his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, quarterback play and play-calling likely held him back in Pittsburgh.
With the Vikings, Pickens could provide a jolt to the Minnesota passing attack. The Vikings could view Pickens purely as a rental, which will help the offense during the second half of 2026, or a long-term solution.
The wideout will be a free agent in March. Whichever team he’s with could place the franchise tag on him for the second straight year.
Even if the Vikings don’t plan to sign Pickens to a long-term deal, they could use the tag on the receiver, then trade him. That might be the team’s best-case scenario, as it would give Kevin O’Connell’s offense another pass-catcher this season without a long-term commitment. The draft capital cost might be minimum too since the Vikings would be flipping Pickens just months after acquiring him.
Podell encouraged the Cowboys to pursue a Pickens trade this week after the wideout caused a stir following the team’s loss Sunday. Video caught the receiver running into the locker room by himself just seconds after the team lost to the Cardinals.
Would Pickens Really Fix Minnesota’s Offense?
The Vikings acquiring Pickens sounds good on paper. But reality could be much different.
The wideout has the reputation as not dealing with adversity well. That’s why he’s potentially on the outs with the 3-5 Cowboys.
In Minnesota, he wouldn’t be stepping into a great situation. The offense is already struggling to get star wideout Justin Jefferson involved. Fellow Pro Bowl-caliber receiver Jordan Addison isn’t producing as he has in the past either.
To put it plainly, quarterback Kyler Murray is already struggling to get the ball to Jefferson and Addison. Will he really have more success targeting Pickens?
Adding a wideout who is going to demand the ball and potentially pout if he doesn’t might be the worst idea for the Vikings. The presence of Pickens could take targets away from Jefferson, which the Vikings shouldn’t want to do and prevent Minnesota from having the draft capital required to add a running back in a different trade.
For that reason, Pickens to the Vikings is probably a long shot. But discussing the possibility speaks volumes to how desperate pundits have become to find solutions for Minnesota’s disappointing offense.
NFL Trade Pitch Sees Vikings Acquire Projected $138 Million WR to Ignite Offense