RUMOR: Treadwell asked Vikings to put him on injured reserve last season
By Adam Patrick
During his rookie year with the Minnesota Vikings, the wide receiver was reportedly more banged up from injuries than the team made known to the public.
Laquon Treadwell would likely be the first to admit that his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings was an incredible disappointment. Anytime you finish with the same amount of total catches for the year as your quarterback is not something a player generally likes to brag about.
On Monday, the Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer reported that the wide receiver’s health in 2016, “was an issue more than the Vikings, including Treadwell, let on last season.” Wednesday, a rumor began to circulate that Treadwell actually asked Minnesota to place him on injured reserve at some point during the 2016 season.
Treadwell asked to go on IR, but his request was denied https://t.co/VF7OU7Sijo
— Yinka Ayinde (@Saxyprince) July 12, 2017
There are two questions that this rumor raises. One, why would Treadwell ask for his season to end early? And if he did indeed ask the Vikings to put him on injured reserve, why did the team deny his request?
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It is not like Minnesota was incorporating the receiver into any of their offensive game planning last year. Placing him on injured reserve would have had very little impact on the team if were actually done.
So why would Treadwell feel he needed to ask for this to happen if the rumor is in fact true? Was it out of frustration or did he think he would be helping the team by giving up his roster spot for someone who was healthier and could contribute?
The receiver did only suit up for nine games last season and it appears that health played a bigger part in him missing games than some may have previously thought.
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So far this offseason, Treadwell has showed no signs of injuries having an effect on his performance. The Vikings just hope that his high-level of play out on the field during OTAs will continue into the upcoming season.