The Minnesota Vikings are set to enjoy their bye week after defeating the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 to push their record to 5-0 for the season. And yet, with no game this week, there is still a lot of work that has to be done for the Vikings, as they need to work on retooling their depth across the board amid a recent wave of injuries.
One spot where Minnesota is pretty banged up is the wide receiver position, as both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison have been dealing with injuries early in the year. After signing Odell Beckham Jr. last week, the Vikings are taking a look at one of his former New York Giants teammates, JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Vikings Workout JuJu Smith-Schuster During Bye Week
A second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Smith-Schuster began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he immediately formed a strong tandem in the passing game alongside Antonio Brown. His best season came in 2018, as he caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns, which earned him the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Unfortunately, ever since then, Smith-Schuster has struggled to come close to replicating that season. Injuries certainly haven’t helped him, and while he enjoyed a brief renaissance with the Kansas City Chiefs, he has been unable to find his way onto the field at all so far this year.
Smith-Schuster spent the offseason with the Giants in training camp alongside Beckham, but he was released midway through the month of August, and he has been unable to latch on with another team since then. The Vikings appear to be interested in Smith-Schuster, as they brought him to town for a workout on Monday, which could lead the front office to sign him, either now or down the line if the team needs more help at wide receiver.
The Vikings worked out veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster today,” Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported in a post on X.
Should the Vikings Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster?
Smith-Schuster isn’t the same player he once was, but he still has value as a secondary target who can get open on underneath routes and move the chains on offense. Just last season, Smith-Schuster caught 33 passes for 345 yards and one touchdown, so in the right offensive scheme, he still has value, and with depth being needed at wide receiver, he certainly would be a sensible signing for Minnesota.
Right now, though, the timing just doesn’t make sense for the Vikings to sign Smith-Schuster. They just brought Beckham in, but with Jefferson making his return to action in Week 5 and Addison reportedly set to return after the bye week, there isn’t much of a need for the former Pro Bowler. That could change down the line, which is why seeing what he has to offer doesn’t hurt, but it’d be a surprise to see Minnesota add another receiver after recently signing Beckham.
Vikings Work Out Former Pro Bowl Wide Receiver After Latest Win