Aug 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jeshaun Jones (82) runs the ball during warm ups before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings stood on business in Week 1, defeating the hapless New York Giants 28-6 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the purple team’s most resounding victory in five years.
Fast forward to Week 2, with the San Francisco 49ers waltzing into Minneapolis looking for 2023 vengeance, and Minnesota conducted some roster maintenance on Tuesday, re-signing wide receiver Jeshaun Jones.
The Vikings’ main social media team tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings have signed WR Jeshaun Jones to the practice squad and released CB Jaylin Williams from the practice squad.”
Williams, a young cornerback, will now hit the open market, though he could eventually return to the practice squad. Minnesota loves re-signing “their own” to that section of the roster, almost off-and-on at times.
On Jones, well, he carried deep-sleeper status into the summer, as many Vikings fans fashionably picked him as a dark horse to make the 53-man roster at the end of August.
In fact, when Minnesota released its very first depth chart of 2024, Jones lived around WR6, an impressive standing for a little-known undrafted free agent. Ultimately, he didn’t make the regular season roster, but he’s now back on the practice squad.
With Jones reentering the mix, these are the Vikings’ wide receivers entering Week 2:
The Jones reunion could also signal that Minnesota’s coaching staff doesn’t expect Jordan Addison to play this weekend. Addison injured his ankle in the win over New York — he injured and rehabilitated the other ankle late in the summer — and is questionable for the showdown with San Francisco. Jones could be back in the Twin Cities for depth in case WR injuries keep popping up.
In June, Janik Eckardt of PurplePTSD, a sister site to VikingsTerritory, was high on Jones’ profile. He wrote, “In the mysterious depth chart behind the two clear top options, Jones has the chance to emerge as a contributor. A strong training camp could guide him toward the 53-man roster.”
Heading into April’s draft, Jones was known for good hands and apt route-running. He tallied 151 receptions for 2,040 receiving yards at the University of Maryland in five years, along with 16 total touchdowns. Jones also scored a touchdown for the Vikings in the preseason.
Minnesota is a six-point home underdog heading into the Week 2 matchup versus San Francisco.
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.