The Minnesota Vikings need more depth at wide receiver.
The NFL suspended Jordan Addison for the first three games of the regular season for violating its substance abuse policy. Jalen Nailor has had drop issues in camp, Lucky Jackson was a practice squad receiver for two years and is now suddenly getting first-team reps, and Tai Felton is a rookie who needs to learn the playbook and add muscle mass. Behind them, Tim Jones is a noticeable downgrade from Trent Sherfield Jr., and the Vikings placed Rondale Moore on season-ending injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury in their first preseason game.
Only a pair of preseason games and joint practices with the New England Patriots remain until the regular season kicks off at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. That means Kevin O’Connell and the rest of Minnesota’s coaching staff don’t have enough time to get a brand-new receiver up to speed with the intricacies of O’Connell’s offensive scheme. So if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to bring in someone who can make an immediate impact in Week 1, his options are limited to guys who already know the Vikings offense.
People have frequently mentioned Adam Thielen as a potential trade target for the Vikings. Thielen is entering his third season with the Carolina Panthers, and the soon-to-be 35-year-old veteran from Detroit Lakes is still a productive receiver in the NFL. If the Vikings acquired Thielen, he could slide in as the Vikings’ third option in their passing offense behind Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson until Addison returns. Thielen would also be a noticeable upgrade over Nailor at that third receiver spot because his catch rate was 9.7% higher than Nailor’s last season.
I think I speak for most #Vikings fans, wishing they could see J.J. McCarthy throw passes to Adam Thielen on Sundays this fall.
I got to watch McCarthy throw to Thielen today, Thielen says McCarthy's "got it."@KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/vA6gKvMoUK
— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) July 17, 2025
However, as Chris Schad pointed out in his recent Zone Coverage article, the idea of bringing Thielen back to Minnesota would be “overkill for a team that is equipped to handle Addison’s absence.” The Vikings were committed this offseason to improving their 20th-ranked rushing offense. They extended Aaron Jones and traded for Jordan Mason. Minnesota also overhauled its interior offensive line by signing Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and drafting Donovan Jackson in the first round. These additions will allow Kevin O’Connell to lean on the run game more than he has in the past.
From the Panthers’ perspective, it doesn’t make too much sense to trade Thielen. While the Panthers haven’t been a serious playoff contender in years, Thielen led Carolina in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season. More importantly, his veteran presence has been invaluable to Bryce Young’s development, which has been Carolina’s top priority.
“Having a guy like Adam, someone who’s had so much success for so long, he was super communicative.” Bryce Young said in March. “He was super open about ‘Hey, this is how I see things. How do you see things?’ Just wanting to get on the same page and having that urgency about it. For me, as a young guy coming in, that was super beneficial.”
Get you an Adam Thielen 😏 pic.twitter.com/Vu69dRSHH2
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) March 4, 2025
Needless to say, the Panthers are unlikely to trade Thielen to Minnesota. However, there is another former Vikings wide receiver who would make a great fit for the 2025 Vikings. K.J. Osborn is under contract with the Washington Commanders, but that may not be the case for much longer. Washington’s receiver room includes Terry McLaurin, despite his trade request, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey, and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane, who has impressed coaches throughout training camp.
Barring an unforeseen trade, all five of those receivers are expected to earn themselves spots on Washington’s 53-man roster. Osborn is listed as a second-team wide receiver on the Commanders’ unofficial depth chart alongside former Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup and the younger McCaffrey. However, Osborn was not projected to make the team in Commanders Wire’s latest 53-man roster predictions. The Minnesota Vikings would be an ideal landing spot for Osborn in the likely event he is waived on cutdown day.
Minnesota’s rationale behind bringing Osborn back has nothing to do with the nostalgia of signing a familiar face at wide receiver. As mentioned earlier, the 2025 Vikings will place a greater emphasis on running the ball effectively, allowing them to better integrate the pass game with the run game. Run blocking is one of Osborn’s strengths, which makes him an asset even if the ball isn’t being thrown his way. Unlike Thielen, Osborn wouldn’t demand a significant target share, nor would he require future draft capital to acquire.
After Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension is over, Osborn could still carve out a viable role as the fourth receiver on the depth chart. Justin Jefferson, Addison, and Jalen Nailor would be the three starters in 11-personnel, with Osborn subbing in on early downs for run blocking purposes. If Nailor gets hurt again, he could assimilate into his old role at slot receiver in the Vikings offense relatively quickly. At the bare minimum, Osborn would be an upgrade over Tim Jones, whom Minnesota brought in as a special teams guy.
The question of whether or not the Vikings should bring back a familiar face at wide receiver depends on which former wideout you’re referring to. While it’s unlikely that Carolina lets Adam Thielen leave in the foreseeable future, there could be a world where Kwesi Adofo-Mensah brings in a known commodity in K.J. Osborn to bolster Minnesota’s depleted receiver depth.