Team news: Minnesota Vikings | Page 10

49ers GM John Lynch “doesn’t think” WR Brandon Aiyuk will be cleared for Week 1, but no official timetable set for ACL/MCL comeback.

Related players: Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Brock Purdy, George Kittle

This comes as no surprise, as we hadn't expected him to return until sometime in mid-season. Aiyuk should be passed over until late in drafts until we get some sort of concrete timetable, which may hint that he doesn't become fantasy-viable until at least the second half of the season. Jennings and Pearsall remain great mid-round picks.

Discipline: NFL suspended Vikings WR Jordan Addison for the first three games of the 2025 regular season for violating the league’s Substances of Abuse Policy.

Related players: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Rondale Moore, T.J. Hockenson

Addison now will miss games at Chicago, vs. the Falcons and vs. the Bengals, the post went on to say. We just posted a news story the Vikings were preparing for a three-game suspension and that's exactly what they got. With Addison out, Jefferson will dominate the targets but Nailor now becomes the WR2. Moore is the team's WR3, but it's possible Hockenson ends up being the second receiving target.

A looming issue at Vikings camp is Jordan Addison's availability to start the season. My sense after asking around is the Vikings are bracing for roughly a three-game suspension for Addison, who in July pleaded no contest to a lesser charge to resolve a 2024 DUI citation. The team's projection is based in part on the league's recent precedent for three-game suspensions for DUI-related offenses.

Addison owners are likely already prepared too, but the good news is the story went on to say Addison is preparing to take the next step by becoming a "better all-around receiver." The Vikings' WR1 spot is unquestioned: That belongs to Justin Jefferson. But after nearly 1,800 yards and 19 touchdowns through two seasons, Addison believes he has the capacity to be one in ability if not by title, the story added.

49ers OC Klay Kubiak on Jauan Jennings:

“His calf is bothering him. We're going to take it day-by-day and see where he's at."

Via: @957thegame

Related Players: Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Demarcus Robinson

This appears to be the second time Jennings has dealt with a calf injury, including one back in OTAs. This doesn't bode well for his bid for a restructured contract (or trade) that he's been waiting on this summer, and could open the door for more Pearsall usage ahead of a season they will be missing Brandon Aiyuk for at least a portion of.

No NFL coach would spell out a detailed strategy in public, of course, and the truth is that the split of carries among Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and perhaps fourth-year backup Ty Chandler will vary based on game circumstances. But early training camp practices have provided some clues. Jones received the initial snaps in most drills, while Mason opened Monday's full-pads practice with the first carry of first-team drills.

Seifert goes on to say, "While it appears unlikely that the split between Mason and Jones will be 50-50, early indications are that it will be much closer to that than the Vikings' previous splits under O'Connell."

We would still put the majority of the workload on Jones' plate, but Mason should still get enough touches to be fantasy relevant. Think of them as a respective RB2 and RB4.

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell has announced WR Justin Jefferson has a mild hamstring strain and will be held out of practice. Jefferson will be re-evaluated next week.

Related Players: Jordan Addison, Tai Felton, T.J. Hockenson

It probably goes without saying, but it would be a massive blow to the entire offense, as well as J.J. McCarthy's bottom line if Jefferson missed any time. No need to push the WR too far down your rankings just yet, but if you had a coinflip between him and another first round option, it might be a good time to lean toward the other guy.

A report last week that Jauan Jennings wants to be traded if he does not receiver a contract extension from the 49ers was followed by one that said he planned to report to training camp on time despite those feelings. GM John Lynch confirmed that Jennings was at camp during the press conference and that the team expects he will be practicing while declining to say whether there were any contract talks going on.

Related players: Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Brock Purdy

The story later said that Lynch wouldn't comment on any kind of contract talks, but Jennings didn't ask to be traded. With Aiyuk expected to be out until October, or even November, there's a good chance Jennings at least starts the season as the team's WR1.

San Francisco GM John Lynch told reporters today that 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk currently is “not anywhere close to having a concrete timeline” to return from the knee injury suffered last season.

Related players: Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy

The talk around Aiyuk is more of a return in October, or even November, according to those who follow the team. That means guys like Jennings, Pearsall, Robinson and Cowing could have a chance to be big factors in the 49ers passing game to start the season. As long CMC is healthy, it's possible he and Kittle will soak up a lot of Purdy's targets as well, but there could be some WR sleepers on the Niners available later in drafts.

49ers placed WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.

Related Players: Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing

Aiyuk was expected, but Pearsall seems to be dealing with an undisclosed injury. We'll keep an eye on things, but we still expect the latter to be ready for Week 1. Regardless, Jennings continues to creep up rankings dispite his current contract dispute and finds himself as a borderline WR2/3 in our rankings, while Pearsall hovers in the WR4 range.

Vikings WR Jordan Addison's case has also concluded with a fine and probation, per his agent.

Related Players: Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton, Rondale Moore, T.J. Hockenson

Much like Rashee Rice, who was sentenced to probation mere hours before this release, we'll have to take a wait-and-see approach to whether or not Addison misses games. The best bet is likely a two-game suspension, but that's all speculation for now. If a potential suspension happens earlier in the season, we could see more work out of rookie Tai Felton than we would have imagined, and Jefferson's target share could be massive without a locked-in WR2.