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Kevin Seifert
The Minnesota Vikings are optimistic about receiver Jalen Nailor’s availability for their Week 1 game at the Chicago Bears next Monday night, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday.
Nailor injured his left hand Aug. 14 during training camp and has not been seen on the field since. At the time, coach Kevin O’Connell classified Nailor’s injury as “week-to-week.”
Nailor’s absence, along with the three-game suspension of receiver Jordan Addison, helped spur the Vikings to acquire receiver Adam Thielen via trade.
Thielen is likely to play a prominent role, and potentially start, alongside Justin Jefferson against the Bears. Nailor’s availability would give the Vikings a reliable set of veterans for their three-receiver sets.
The only other receivers on the Vikings’ 53-man roster are both rookies: Tai Felton, a third-round draft pick from Maryland, and Myles Price, an undrafted free agent from Indiana. The Vikings lost receiver Rondale Moore for the season during the preseason because of a left knee injury.
Nailor caught a career-high 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns last season. His contract will expire after the 2025 season, at which point he will be an unrestricted free agent.