Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell talked about ways that he is planning to get wide receiver Jauan Jennings involved in the offense. The coach spoke with the media on Monday afternoon, with anybody week on the schedule.
The coach has talked about Jennings a lot in recent days. Last week, he indicated that Jennings is still going to be a part of the offense. The comments came one day after the team acquired Odell Beckham Jr. There were initial thoughts that Jennings may be the odd man out with the new acquisition. However, the coach still wants to try to use Jennings within the offense.
“I know we’ll use this week as a coaching staff to try and find different ways to get him a little more activated in the pass game.”
Vikings Playmaker Has Seen Decrease In Production
These comments certainly come at an interesting time. Jennings was targeted just once in 30 routes run on Sunday. On top of this, Jennings has been targeted five times over the course of five games. In addition to his one target on Sunday, he had one target against the Miami Dolphins. He had two targets and one reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and just one target in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. The targets, and production as a result, just have not been there.
This is a significant reduction from his role with the San Francisco 49ers. The playmaker had 90 targets during the 2025 regular season. That production lessened in the postseason as he was targeted only eight times. However, it was clear that he was a key option for the 49ers during his time with the organization.
Looking at his targets over the last two seasons, it was clear he was receiving an uptick in trust and targets. He averaged 7.5 targets per game in 2024, recording 113 targets over 15 games overall. In 2025, he had six targets per game, equating to 90 targets over the course of 15 games. Those numbers skyrocketed from his previous totals, and it was clear that the Vikings thought he could make a similar type of impact in the offense. So far, that has not been the case.
Jennings Could Still Be Odd Man Out
The addition of Beckham has certainly put Jennings on notice. That, and the combined lack of targets to begin the year, have shown that he is not as much a part of the Vikings plans as originally thought. It will be interesting to see if the team can get him the ball more following the bye week. If there was an opportunity for him to show what he could do, this would be it.
The Vikings offense has had its struggles, and it’s unfair to place those on Jennings. However, if O’Connell wants to get the wide receiver the ball, an uptick in targets must happen over the course of the next couple of weeks. It’s clear that the coach likes the receiver, and that he wants him to be a part of the roster. The production just has not been there to this point.
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