5 forgotten former members of the Vikings – Part 3

Jerome Simpson – WR

Jerome Simpson was a pretty solid wide receiver who had his glory years in the league with the Cincinnati Bengals. In his career with the Bengals, he racked up 71 receptions for 1004 yards and seven touchdowns. He was a big play receiver who averaged 14.1 yards a reception, adding an explosive element to Cincinnati’s passing game.

In 2012 Simpson signed with the Vikings to be the Vikings’ No. 2 option across from Percy Harvin. He didn’t make an appearance until the fourth game of the season, as he was slapped with a three-game suspension prior to that. When he finally did see the field, Simpson didn’t have the immediate impact the team had hoped.

He struggled a bit catching passes from Christian Ponder, as any receiver would, and finished with just 26 receptions for 274 yards and no touchdowns. In year two, he fared a bit better when he was playing with Matt Cassel and caught 48 passes for 726 yards but only found the end zone once. Simpson was more known for his end zone flip than his actual production with Minnesota and his tenure with the team lasted only two seasons.

Simpson finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers, but for a flickering moment that is now a faded memory, he spent two years with our beloved Vikings.