The Minnesota Vikings have reached their bye week at 5-0, but Jauan Jennings, Will Fries and Jordan Addison have still fallen short of what Minnesota reasonably expected from them. Winning can hide plenty of flaws, and Jennings has already become the most glaring example after arriving this offseason with a legitimate role waiting for him. His rough first month with Minnesota has gone well beyond simply losing touches to Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota can afford patience because Brian Flores’ defense has allowed an NFL-low 12.8 points per game while the offense is producing only 21.8, ranking 20th. The Vikings’ early team numbers make this a strange exercise for an undefeated team, but 5-0 doesn’t mean everyone gets an A. These three have legitimate work to do after the bye.
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Jauan Jennings
Jauan Jennings hasn’t merely been quiet. He’s been MIA from the passing game.
Through four appearances, Jennings has two receptions for nine yards on five targets. He finished Minnesota’s Week 5 win over New Orleans without a catch, even though Kyler Murray completed passes to 10 different teammates. That’s a brutal return for a veteran who was supposed to give Kevin O’Connell another physical target alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Now the lack of production is starting to bleed into trade chatter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on Tuesday that he expects Jennings’ name to generate more interest around the league in the coming days and weeks, with a possible reunion with the San Francisco 49ers among the logical possibilities. The trade speculation around Jennings doesn’t mean Minnesota is actively shopping him or that a deal is inevitable, but the fact that a receiver signed in May is already being discussed as a deadline candidate says plenty about how poorly the fit has been.
From @PatMcAfeeShow: In the wake of the Marvin Harrison Jr trade, another WR whose trade market is expected to heat up is #Vikings WR Jauan Jennings. Would a #49ers reunion make sense? pic.twitter.com/DR6mY1OvYb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 13, 2026
Jennings’ blocking and toughness were supposed to provide value even when the ball wasn’t coming his way. At two catches through the bye, though, Minnesota has every reason to consider whether another team could get more from him than the Vikings have.
Will Fries
Will Fries entered Year 2 in Minnesota with fewer excuses and a healthier offensive line. We're still waiting for that hoped-for leap.
The Vikings spent last offseason rebuilding their interior line and expected Fries to become a long-term answer at right guard. Instead, his 2025 season was middling, and Fries’ struggles have followed him into 2026. His rough afternoon against New Orleans only reinforced the concern.
Minnesota’s offensive line has benefited from much better continuity this season. Christian Darrisaw is back, Donovan Jackson has another year of experience, and Blake Brandel has settled in at center. Fries can’t lean on last year’s revolving-door situation forever.
Nobody needs a guard to produce highlight clips every game. The Vikings need Fries to stop losing enough one-on-one reps for his position to become noticeable. Through five games, that bar still hasn’t been cleared consistently.
Jordan Addison
Jordan Addison belongs on this list with an asterisk because his season hasn’t been bad. It simply hasn’t matched what Minnesota should expect from a former first-round receiver playing opposite Justin Jefferson.
Addison has caught 11 of 22 targets for 163 yards and one touchdown in four games. His 50 percent catch rate is especially hard to love in an offense that has already struggled to sustain production. He’s still producing explosive plays, averaging 14.8 yards per reception, so there’s a legitimate counterargument here. This isn’t a player disappearing entirely.
His work without the ball also deserves credit. Addison’s early impact as a blocker gave the Vikings value that won’t show up next to his receiving totals.
The standard has climbed, though. Addison is in his fourth NFL season and should be a weekly problem for defenses that already have to tilt coverage toward Jefferson. Minnesota’s passing attack needs more than occasional flashes from him when the schedule resumes against Indianapolis.
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