The Minnesota Vikings are making final preparations for their Week 1 matchup against the NFC North rival Chicago Bears. With the game scheduled to be played on Monday Night Football, there are a lot of questions facing the team.
One of those questions has had to do with the playing status of wide receiver Jalen Nailor.
With just over a week remaining until the two teams face off, the Vikings have received a major update when it comes to Nailor.
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According to a report from ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Nailor is expected to be able to play barring a setback throughout the upcoming week.
“The Vikings are optimistic about wide receiver Jalen Nailor (hand) playing Week 1 vs. Chicago barring a setback, per sources,” Fowler wrote on X. “Minnesota envisions a key role for Nailor, especially with Jordan Addison out via suspension.”
Nailor will be a key part of the Minnesota offense early on this season. With Jordan Addison suspended for the first three games of the 2025 season, Nailor’s role with increase dramatically.
Last season, the 26-year-old wide receiver had a small breakout year. He played in all 17 regular season games, catching 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers hint at potentially bigger production in 2025.
Recently, the Vikings did pull off a key trade with the Carolina Panthers to reunite with veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. That move helped take some pressure off of Nailor and the rest of the wideouts behind Justin Jefferson, but Minnesota will still need him to play a key role.
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J.J. McCarthy will be heading into his first career NFL start. He missed all of last season due to a knee injury. The Vikings are going to need players to step up around him all year long.
It will be interesting to see if Nailor is able to have an even bigger breakout season than he had in 2024. There is no question that he has the talent to do so.
Hopefully, there are no setbacks throughout the week leading into the season opener. For now, this is great news for Minnesota’s offense.
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