K.J. Osborn Is Back in the NFC
Former Minnesota Vikings wideout K.J. Osborn didn’t last long on the waiver wire after the New England Patriots cut ties with the 26-year-old on Tuesday.
K.J. Osborn Is Back in the NFC
Osborn is now a Washington Commander and will presumably finish the season in the nation’s capital.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “Former Patriots WR KJ Osborn, who was waived yesterday, was claimed by the Commanders, source said.”
Osborn joins this WR corps in Washington:
- Terry McLaurin
- Noah Brown
- Olamide Zaccheaus
- Luke McCaffrey
- Dyami Brown
- K.J. Osborn
- Jamison Crowder (IR)
- Bryce Tremayne (Practice Squad)
- Michael Strachan (Practice Squad)
- Mitchell Tinsley (Practice Squad)
The Commanders’ offense ranks fifth in the NFL per DVOA, and Jayden Daniels’ team would hold the NFC’s seventh playoff seed if the postseason kicked off today.
Osborn started the 2024 campaign slow, and at the time, many wondered if Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett merely hadn’t developed chemistry with the veteran wideout. Several weeks ago, New England benched Brissett for rookie passer Drake Maye, and not much changed for Osborn.
The veteran pass-catcher spent his whole rookie contract with the Vikings. Osborn 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 has 7 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown this season.
With Jordan Addison’s immediate emergence to WR2, Osborn could grab more money on the open market than Minnesota was 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.
The Commanders also employ former Vikings players Sheldon Day (DT) and Jalyn Holmes (DT).
Ex-Vikings Kicker Tries Out for Browns
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 MIN 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.