4 most underappreciated players in Minnesota Vikings history

Jake Reed – Wide receiver

Thanks to the emergence of Randy Moss, Jake Reed somehow became a forgotten figure for the Vikings at the end of the 1990s. From 1994-1997, Reed went over 1,000 receiving yards every season and finished that stretch with an even 4,800 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Once he turned 30 – and Randy Moss entered the picture – the numbers went off a cliff for Jake Reed. His next four seasons resulted in just over 1,600 yards and seven touchdowns as Reed bounced back and forth between Minnesota and New Orleans.

Minnesota had an incredible run in the late 1990s but Jake Reed has quickly become a bit of an afterthought. Randy Moss and Cris Carter get the majority of the recognition for the team’s success during that span but Reed was putting up the numbers before then.

Jake Reed is currently fourth in franchise history with 6,433 receiving yards and he ranks eighth with 33 touchdowns for the Vikings. He is top-10 in pretty much every receiving category in the history of the Minnesota Vikings but he has dwindled in the eyes of fans over the years.

The Vikings have had a strong history of pass-catchers over the years and that trend is still true to this day. The list of receivers is incredibly deep and the numbers simply speak for themselves. However, with so many talented players clogging the list, Jake Reed seems to be the most commonly forgotten member of that list.

Reed spent 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and vaulted himself into the top-10 of every major category yet he is hardly mentioned as one of the best to ever play for the Vikings. He deserved some more love.