With Nolan Teasley Sitting in Wait and See Mode, 1 Vikings Player Gets Dropped into NFL Big Board

GM Nolan Teasley is a patient, calculating executive who is keen to gather information and to work through a robust process. Doing so is meant to ensure that whatever decisions get made end up being sound.

Over on The Athletic, Daniel Popper ventures into the ambitious task of assembling an NFL trade deadline big board. He does so with a whopping 50 players, the majority of whom won’t get moved but who will be discussed a ton (among fans, writers, and NFL executives). Working into the list means seeing Vikings WR3 Jauan Jennings listed at 31st.

Nolan Teasley, Jauan Jennings, & The ’26 Trade Deadline

At the outset of the bye, Jennings was being included in a ton of trade speculation. Recent days has seen a lot of that speculation fizzle. But, apparently, the speculation isn’t entirely gone.

Some of the initial analysis: “It took two months for Jennings to finally find a home in free agency. He eventually signed with the Vikings in May on an incentive-laden, one-year deal. The Vikings are 5-0 and should be buyers at the deadline. But the pairing with Jennings has been a bit peculiar.”

Quite right.

The Vikings are a very good team. Or, at least, that was the case moving into the bye. What’s also true is that Jennings hasn’t yet been used to his full potential, seeing only 5 targets alongside 2 receptions for 9 scoreless yards. Not great.

He was visibly frustrated in Week 5, as he should have been given that he’s often found himself open. Kyler Murray needs to continue ascending so that he can start feeding his WR3.

More from the piece on The Athletic: “The Vikings have targeted Jennings only four times in his four games. (He missed one game for a personal matter.) Jennings is still being utilized as a blocker, which is undoubtedly a strength of his game. We are including him on the list mostly because his former team, San Francisco, is dealing with an absurd number of receiver injuries.”

San Francisco’s injury concerns are a real factor. Maybe the 49ers call. But would the Vikings actually ship out the WR3 to a team that’s currently the most formidable threat in the NFC? Doing so would be odd — foolish, even — especially with Nolan Teasley knowing the 49ers so well given his years sharing a division with San Francisco.

Normal circumstances involve life being difficult trying to tame Kyle Shanahan. Best to avoid giving him a helping hand, I’d think.

Consider, as well, that Teasley has previously discussed his philosophy at the trade deadline. He intends to be active in the league conversations even if nothing comes of the chatter. Moreover, there’s a willingness to sell before then turning toward buying, as he explained when unpacking that J.J. McCarthy trade to the Giants.

In theory, then, Jennings could get shipped out, a selling move. Nolan Teasley could then use the acquired draft pick(s) to become a buyer in a different deal.

At 29, Jauan Jennings is looking to prove capable of earning a beefy payday prior to getting too old. He didn’t see his market materialize in March in the manner he had hoped. So, there’s some personal motivation that’s likely at work given that he’s a contract-year player who is a touch older.

Next up for the Vikings is a Colts game inside of U.S. Bank Stadium.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.