Jalen Nailor has emerged as a supremely notable third wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings this season.
But his future may be elsewhere.
Nailor is a free agent after this season, and it won't be easy for the Vikings to keep him around.
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This is how ESPN's Kevin Seifert explained it in a new blurb on Tuesday:
"The Vikings would love to bring back Nailor, who has caught 26 passes for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns as their No. 3 receiver this season. But the team is bracing for the likelihood that he will be one of the top receivers available in free agency, which could make it difficult for Minnesota to match an offer. With Justin Jefferson under contract at $35 million per year, and 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison also a part of the Vikings' long-term plans, Nailor could be the odd man out. Addison is eligible for an extension after the season."
Nailor is coming off a standout performance on Sunday Night Football, too, which makes this update from Seifert even more frustrating for Vikings fans.
It hasn't been the kind of season Minnesota wanted. The Vikings have a very talented roster but haven't gotten the quarterback play needed to turn that into a follow-up of last season's great year.
Instead, guys like Jefferson, Addison and Nailor have had to toil at times as the QBs have struggled.
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The hope for Minnesota will be that quarterback play, whether J.J. McCarthy or otherwise, improves next season to get right back into the playoff picture.
It's just not clear that Nailor will remain in that picture. There are a lot of big contracts in Minnesota already, and his might not quite fit.
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