Jauan Jennings, the veteran receiver with over 1,600 receiving yards in the past two seasons, has been shockingly quiet for the Vikings this year. He’s hauled in just two passes for a measly nine total yards across four games. That kind of ghosting, plus cameras catching his frustration boiling over in a win against the Saints, has naturally fired up the trade rumor mill surrounding his future.
The Rumor Mill Was Spinning Hard and Fast
Seriously, when a guy who’s been that productive suddenly just disappears, everyone starts talking trade. Add to Jennings’ incredibly low production the fact that the Vikings just brought in Odell Beckham Jr., and then worked out JuJu Smith-Schuster on Monday, and the signals looked pretty clear: a move might be coming. Even NFL insider Ian Rapoport added fuel to that fire earlier this week. He was openly “wondering” about Jennings’ trade status, even expecting his name to “heat up” as the trade deadline got closer. For a minute there, it seemed like a done deal, right?
But Then Pelissero Dropped a Bomb
Hold up, because Tom Pelissero just came in with the coldest water possible on KFAN’s Power Trip Morning Show Thursday morning. “I don’t anticipate Jauan Jennings is going anywhere,” Pelissero declared. He expects Jennings to “be on the team after the bye.” Sure, there’s been trade interest, which Pelissero said is typical when a player’s production is that low, causing other teams to call. But Pelissero isn’t buying it. He believes Jennings stays, arguing that “there’s more in there.” Jennings hasn’t played his best, and the team hasn’t given him the opportunities they want to, but he’s a “different body type that they don’t have in anybody else.”
The Vikings signed Jennings this offseason to a one-year, $8 million contract, and even though the guy’s been quiet during their 5-0 start, head coach Kevin O’Connell isn’t sounding any alarm bells. O’Connell said Monday that Jennings has been “doing all the right things,” and he believes Jennings’ “opportunities will come.” He even called Jennings’ “play style standpoint and a mentality standpoint” a “real positive” for the huddle, especially since it’s “still early on in the season.” O’Connell plans to use their bye week to “find different ways to get him a little bit more activated in the pass game.” And as for that JuJu Smith-Schuster workout? Pelissero doesn’t see it going anywhere either. He said, “I don’t think they’re going down that road” with JuJu. He compared it to how Seattle’s done it for years, always “churning” through players, working out veterans, and “turning over every single stone.” But in terms of major changes like trading someone away? Pelissero just isn’t expecting it.
So, will Jennings actually get “activated” in the pass game like O’Connell hopes? Will his production finally spike? We’ve got 26 days until the November 10th trade deadline to find out if Pelissero’s call holds true.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply