The Wild WR Trade That Has Vikings Fans Buzzing
The Minnesota Vikings appear to be sniffing around the NFL’s trade market for a new wide receiver.
Vikings fans are buzzing about a wide receiver trade possibility that folks believe could shake up the roster. It may not be realistic, but it’s out there.
WR2 Jordan Addison won’t factor into the offense for the first three games because of a suspension, WR3 Jalen Nailor has a bad hand with no clear timetable for recovery, and WR4 Rondale Moore is out for the season with a knee injury.
And somehow, after news of Minnesota’s alleged participation in the trade circuit, some fans have settled on New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave as a sensible target.
Chris Olave Theories Enter the Chat for Vikings
Olave really isn’t on the trade block, but that does not deter the rumor mill.
Chris Olave Is the Latest and Greatest Trade Target for Vikings Fans
It didn’t take long for the masses to fire off their favorite purple trade theories at wide receiver, popularly including Adam Thielen, Tyreek Hill, and any New England Patriots wideout who could be cut in six days.
But Olave, as a realistic target, represented a curveball.
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness tweeted Wednesday, “I’m going to manifest it, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Chris Olave.”
VikingsCentral on X posted a photo of Olave with a caption of “Gimme.”
Dustin Antoine on X: “Possible Vikings WR trade rumors that I like: Adam Thielen and Alec Pierce. Possible Vikings WR rumors that I LOVE: Chris Olave and Jordan Whittington.”
And a popular aggregator, The Purple Persuasion: “The NFL would be forced to investigate New Orleans for tanking if they made this move. Two years of team control on Olave won’t come cheap either. Jettas, Addison, and Olave…. That’s an ELITE room.”
The News of Minnesota in the Trade Rumor Mill
What about the origins of Minnesota’s would-be interest in trading for a new WR? That arrived on the scene Wednesday morning, two days before the club’s final preseason game.
Bleacher Report‘s Adam Wells wrote: “With a depleted receiver room heading into the start of the regular season, the Minnesota Vikings are looking to add another pass-catcher into the mix. The Vikings did get positive news about Jefferson this week when he was able to practice on Monday for the first time since July 24. He was originally diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain, per head coach Kevin O’Connell.”
Check any branch of social media, and it has become common knowledge that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is kicking the tires on a WR swap.
Why an Olave Deal Might Make Sense
The paths for Olave to Minnesota are slim. Foremost, New Orleans would be foolish to trade him — he’s their top playmaker at wide receiver, and one might argue their only productive wideout.
Still, the Saints, in theory, could be frustrated by Olave’s lengthy injury resume. Then, they could ship him elsewhere for a mid-round pick and limp through the 2025 campaign with Rashid Shaheed, Brandin Cooks, and Mason Tipton as the primary wideouts.
Of course, Minnesota would showcase an utterly elite WR corps — the best in the NFL — and the J.J. McCarthy era would begin dripping with firepower.
Sadly, an Olave Trade Does Not Seem Realistic
The reasons against the realism of an Olave deal are plentiful, for better or worse:
- He’s not tangibly on the trade block.
- New Orleans has breadcrumbs for WRs next to Olave.
- He’ll need a fat new contract in 2027.
- Olave would be a WR3 in Minnesota; he has WR1 talent.
- Minnesota must pay Jordan Addison before too long, while already investing in Justin Jefferson to the tune of megabucks.
- Would Minnesota really want a piece of Olave’s injury resume?
If there’s a will, there’s a way — but this one is an uphill climb for fruition.
The Latest on Olave
Olave evidently put a quiet training camp on tape in the last several weeks.
Louisiana Sports‘ Ross Jackson explained why that’s no big deal this week: “His name hasn’t dominated airways the way fellow receivers Rashid Shaheed and Mason Tipton have. The good news is that there’s good news for that. Olave has strung together some big plays much like Shaheed and Tipton, but he’s made a habit of doing some of the dirty work in practices as well.”
“He has been the wideout that his young quarterbacks go to in order to get a rhythm, sometimes multiple times in a row. A good example of this can be seen from Sunday’s preseason tie with the Jacksonville Jaguars. During rookie Tyler Shough’s second drive, he targeted Olave on a trio of consecutive passing plays.”
Olave turned 25 this summer.
Jackson added, “One resulted in a drop, but the point stands that when the team needed yardage, the quarterback needed a rhythm and the offenses needed a first down, it was Olave that everyone relied upon in his first live action since Week Nine of the 2024 season. So while chatter around Olave has been quiet, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of hesitation from the team getting him back into the fold.”
“That’s one of the reasons that expectations around the talented pass-catcher continue to be held in such high regard.”
No fan would be too upset if Minnesota pulled a deal for Olave, but it’s really just a pipe dream.
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