The Minnesota Vikings are preparing to possibly be without Justin Jefferson and/or Jordan Addison in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, doubling up at wide receiver with Odell Beckham and Jeshuan Jones in a potentially telling roster adjustment.
News of Beckham’s elevation from the practice squad emerged earlier in the day.
The Vikings confirmed the news, while also announcing that Jones would be part of the shuffle, along with tight end Ben Yurosek and center Michael Jurgens coming off injured reserve.
C Michael Jurgens and TE Ben Yurosek have been activated from IR and will enter tomorrow’s game without an injury designation.
“Despite playing for more than a decade in the NFL, Beckham has only appeared in the Superdome once,” Vikings.com’s Craig Peters wrote on October 10. “The elevations of Beckham and Jones followed a week with Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) being listed as questionable on the final injury report. Jefferson suffered his injury in Week 3 at Tampa Bay and was inactive against Miami in Week 4.
“He’s [Beckham] hoping to be able to play in his hometown for the second time of his NFL career and first with a full building (the 2020 game attendance was limited to 3,000 fans because of COVID-19 protocols).
The sentimental aspect is noteworthy for Beckham.
The implications of the Vikings adding and Jones to the game-day roster casts further uncertainty on the availability of Jefferson and Addison, though.
Jeshaun Jones Joins Odell Beckham Jr. in Potentially Telling Roster Shake-Up
Jones is a third-year former undrafted free agent. He has two career regular-season games to his credit, both with the Vikings, one each in the past season-plus. He never caught a pass, logging his first three snaps on offense this season, per Pro Football Reference.
Yurosek is a second-year former college free agent. He has played in 12 games with one start in his career so far.
He has two receptions for 14 yards.
Jurgens is a former seventh-round pick by the Vikings (No. 230 overall) in the 2014 draft. He has 18 appearances with three starts. The Vikings ruled out two players, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and cornerback Charles Demmings.
Additionally, two other players are questionable like Addison and Jefferson. Jurgens and Yurosek are two of them, and the roster moves suggest they are good to go.
The other is right tackle Brian O’Neill, which is ominous for the Vikings.
Quarterback Kyler Murray has already missed time due to injury. He could be without his top two targets and both offensive tackles against a feisty Saints team. The final inactives list looms large for the Vikings.
Vikings Send Ominous Signal on Justin Jefferson & Jordan Addison in Roster Tweak