Dec 3, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots fans in the stands as their team warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports.
Perhaps the tide will turn at some point, but for now, K.J. Osborn’s decision to join the New England Patriots’ roster in free agency has not panned out.
The former Minnesota Vikings WR3 has just 57 receiving yards through 10 weeks. He’s averaging about 8 yards per game.
Osborn started the 2024 campaign slow, and at the time, many wondered if Jacoby Brissett merely hadn’t developed chemistry with the veteran wideout. A few weeks ago, New England benched Brissett for rookie passer Drake Maye, and not much changed for Osborn.
For context, this is the Patriots’ WR corps:
Of all receiving groups in the NFL, that should actually be the easiest for one to stand out. But no cigar for Osborn, who hit free agency again in March if not re-signed by New England.
Osborn spent his whole rookie contract with the Vikings. The University of Miami alumnus busted out into prominence [out of nowhere] during the summer of 2021 after an unbelievably quiet rookie year during the pandemic season. In fact, the Vikings didn’t use Osborn on offense at all as a rookie, but he emerged at training camp the following season.
And then the veteran playmaker stuck around until March 2024, mostly used as a WR3. Moreover, Osborn’s arrival on the scene was of the utmost importance for Minnesota. For about four seasons, the Vikings “never really seemed to care” about WR3, nominating men like Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe for the task. But when Osborn seized the job in 2021, the purple team finally employed an honest-to-goodness WR3.
Osborn totaled 48 receptions for 540 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2023. The year was pretty standard in Osborn’s world, though the touchdown numbers dipped.
He’s on pace for 12 catches and 97 yards this season.
With Jordan Addison’s immediate emergence to WR2, Osborn could grab more money on the open market than the Vikings were willing to deliver. Too, Osborn was not drafted by the current Vikings front office and coaching staff, meaning he was not a priority to re-sign. So, he chose the Patriots.
Osborn’s production could spike as Maye gets more comfortable within the offense, but onlookers likely would’ve seen hints of that by now, at least small ones.
The ex-Viking will turn 27 next summer.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.