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Vikings Receiver Gets Suspended as Cuts Appear on Horizon
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- Vikings Receiver Gets Suspended as Cuts Appear on Horizon
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Earlier in the day, the news emerged of Minnesota moving on from corner Dwight McGlothern . Doing so meant jettisoning a 2023 UDFA.
More recently, the news involved a Vikings receiver who was part of that same cluster of undrafted talent.
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Depth pass catcher Jeshaun Jones is being suspended for three games. Losing these games is as a result of violating the "NFL's Substances of Abuse policy." Not long after the news emerged, Ben Goessling ( The Star Tribune ) shared another factoid : "According to Hillsborough County court records, Vikings receiver Jeshaun Jones was arrested in April for refusing to submit to a breath test to determine his blood-alcohol level. He pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of reckless driving last month."
Vikings Receiver Jeshaun Jones Done for Trio of Games
Quite possibly, the Vikings will opt to ride out the suspension before then making the roster call. Safe to say, though, that this is bad news for the player.
Jones finds himself on the fringe of the roster. At best, he's the WR6. Sneaking onto the roster would have been due to some mixture of being able to help on specials and being able to grow into a role on offense. On Saturday, Jones did some really good things on the field but saw a dark cloud hang over his day due to a fumble that overshadowed a lot of the good things he did.
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Jones tossed 5 catches for 63 yards onto the stat sheet. Most notably, he made an acrobatic catch when he was double covered.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jeshaun Jones (82) warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
Right now, the Vikings boast the current depth chart at receiver:
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WR1 Justin Jefferson
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WR2 Jordan Addison
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WR3 Jauan Jennings
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WR4 Tai Felton
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WR5 Myles Price
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WR6 Jeshaun Jones
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WR7 Dontae Fleming
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WR8 Dillon Bell
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WR9 Michael Briscoe
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WR10 Trayvon Rudolph
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WR11 Marcus Sanders Jr.
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WR12 Terrill Davis
Offering such a hearty helping of receiver options makes the margin for error thin.
Andrew Krammer ( The Star Tribune ) adds some more insight about how the offseason competition has been unfolding : "Jones, 26, spent the past two years on the Vikings practice squad and appeared likely to at least make that route again. He's consistently been around WR6 in camp behind Jefferson, Addison, Jennings, Felton and Price. He can play Friday night in Denver, but suspension begins Aug. 30 thru Sept. 27."
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At the very least, Fleming and Bell will get a minor boost since they're available while Jones is away. Of the two, Bell may boast a better shot at getting onto the roster due to a unique cluster of abilities that allows him to be used as a gadget guy.
Aug 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jeshaun Jones (82) runs a reception back for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Per Over the Cap , the Vikings had to send over $235,000 in guaranteed money to get Jones back in 2023. Kicking over such meaty money is suggestive of optimism about his potential.
What has then taken place has been an ongoing desire to work with the young receiver. He has mostly lived on the practice squad in 2024 and 2025. Last year, Jones got elevated for some work. Jones earned 7 snaps on specials teams, a spot where he returned a pair of punts for 5 total yards.
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Jeshaun Jones is 26. He stands at 6'1″ and weighs 188 pounds. During the summer, Justin Jefferson mentioned him specifically as a receiver who had been improving.
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