One Vikings Playmaker May Not Be in Next Year’s Plans
One of the main free agency decisions awaiting the 2026 Minnesota Vikings involves wide receiver Jalen Nailor, a playmaker drafted in 2022 and filling the WR3 in the last couple of seasons. The speedster has flashed moments of promise in Minnesota, but he may not be back in 2026.
Nailor’s big moments are real, yet the Vikings’ next step looks like a numbers game, and the roster may be nudging him toward the exit.
ESPN reported last week that the Vikings have not had meaningful extension talks, and those probably should have occurred by now.
Jalen Nailor’s 2026 Status Is Suddenly Unclear
Nailor back in 2026 is totally up in the air.
The ESPN Skinny on Nailor + Vikings
If Nailor sticks around for a second contract, it will be because extension talks heated up this offseason — not before.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote last week, “The Vikings have remained committed to Addison despite a series of off-field issues. They haven’t had substantive contract talks with Nailor, are roughly $57 million over the NFL’s estimated 2026 salary cap and they drafted receiver Tai Felton last spring in part as a backstop to Nailor’s potential departure.”
“Nailor, 26, is one of the few success stories from the four drafts that span general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure, having risen from a sixth-round pick in 2022 who struggled to stay healthy to a playmaking No. 3 receiver in an offense that uses three-receiver sets on 60% of its snaps.”
Most players entering the final year of their contracts negotiate extensions before their contracts expire, but that evidently has not happened with Nailor.
The Production
Here’s the deal on Nailor: he’s a streak shooter. Against the Dallas Cowboys a couple of weeks ago, the man played like a game-changer, tabulating 3 receptions for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not bad, right? A true WR3 with moments of WR2 pizazz.
Nailor has not caught a pass since.
Versus the New York Giants and Detroit Lions, Nailor has done nothing — no catches, no receiving yards. He has 395 receiving yards this season, with 4 touchdowns. Last year, with a very productive Sam Darnold, Nailor posted 414 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
He posts WR4 numbers while looking like an electric WR2 about two games per season.
Too Many WRs to Pay?
Minnesota already pays Justin Jefferson, its best player, top dollar: $35 million per year. And during the upcoming offseason, Jefferson’s running mate, Jordan Addison, will begin to engage in contract extensions, where the 23-year-old is virtually assured to ask for $30 million annually. In fact, the current discourse on Addison is whether the Vikings can afford him. Maybe — maybe not.
If Minnesota keeps J.J. McCarthy in his QB1 role, the passer will be quasi-affordable for three more seasons. Should the Vikings decide to swing for the fences this offseason with a juicy quarterback trade for Joe Burrow or Kyler Murray, for example, they probably won’t have money left over for Addison.
Seifert noted on the WR budget, “The conventional wisdom goes something like this: With Justin Jefferson making $35 million per season and Jordan Addison eligible for a contract extension, the Minnesota Vikings can’t afford to re-sign receiver Jalen Nailor before he enters the free agent market this spring.”
“All available evidence suggests the likelihood of that scenario. The Vikings have remained committed to Addison despite a series of off-field issues. They haven’t had substantive contract talks with Nailor, are roughly $57 million over the NFL’s estimated 2026 salary cap and they drafted receiver Tai Felton last spring in part as a backstop to Nailor’s potential departure.”
Perhaps Nailor’s representation will realize that he’s a low-end WR3 production and return to the Twin Cities on a deal worth $7 million or so. Stay tuned.
The Tai Felon Angle
And don’t forget about the Vikings’ 3rd-Round draft pick from April.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surprised fans with the pick, mainly because Minnesota had other urgent draft needs, like finally drafting a productive defensive back. Instead, Adofo-Mensah picked Maryland’s Tai Felton. The playmaker has not done a damn thing on offense this year, instead seeing most on-the-field action in a special teams role.
The Viking Age‘s Luke Norris noted on Felton earlier this month, “Some even believed he could steal the WR3 spot from Jalen Nailor, but that obviously hasn’t happened, as the 22-year-old has spent the vast majority of his time on special teams.”
“In fact, the only times Felton has taken snaps with the offense came in blowouts, getting 12 in Minnesota’s 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, six in a 37-10 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, and 11 in last Sunday’s 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders.”
But the intent was there. Adofo-Mensah appeared to tip his hand on Nailor’s future by drafting Felton. If he knew Nailor would be back in 2026, Felton wasn’t really needed.
NFL free agency is 10 weeks away, and Minnesota will start the offseason about $40 million over the cap.
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