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Trade rumors surrounding Vikings’ wide receiver Jauan Jennings are expected to heat up over the coming weeks
The Green Bay Packers might need to get creative if they want another experienced receiver before the NFL trade deadline. One suggested option would require something they rarely do: strike a deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Jauan Jennings has gone from an $8 million offseason addition in Minnesota to a possible trade candidate just five games into the season. With Jayden Reed done for the year, the Packers have an obvious reason to be interested. Getting the undefeated Vikings to help a division rival is another matter.
Green Bay is 3-2 after Sunday’s 31-7 win over the Chicago Bears, but the latest offensive breakout doesn’t erase the questions surrounding its receiving depth.
Packers Jauan Jennings Trade Idea Comes With ‘Premium’ Cost
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns included Green Bay among five possible landing spots for Jennings ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. He sees a fit, though the Packers’ rivalry with Minnesota could make the cost a problem.
“It would likely cost the Packers a premium considering the context between the teams,” Bahns wrote.
There is no reported offer or indication that the two teams are discussing a deal. Bahns also didn’t suggest a specific draft pick Green Bay should surrender.
The Vikings, who are 5-0, have little incentive to strengthen a team chasing them in the NFC North. They also wouldn’t be selling Jennings at his peak value.
Jennings has only two catches for nine yards on five targets through four appearances this season. He signed a one-year, $8 million contract in May, with incentives that could push the total to $13 million, but hasn’t found a consistent place alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
That’s a dramatic change from his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Jennings caught 77 passes for 975 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, followed by 55 receptions for 643 yards and nine scores last season. He has 22 career receiving touchdowns.
Packers’ Receiver Situation Makes Jauan Jennings an Interesting Option
Green Bay doesn’t necessarily need another featured receiver. Christian Watson and Matthew Golden combined for 266 receiving yards against Chicago, giving Jordan Love plenty of help in his 367-yard, two-touchdown performance.
But behind those two, the group isn’t nearly as deep as it once was.
Reed’s neck injury required season-ending surgery. Romeo Doubs departed in free agency, and Green Bay traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles. Those departures have left general manager Brian Gutekunst with fewer proven options if either Watson or Golden misses time.
Jennings, at 6-foot-3, has the size and experience to contribute on contested catches and third downs. His production in Minnesota makes a trade something of a gamble, though it also raises the question of whether a new offense could help him rediscover his old form.
There is also some history between these teams. In the 2022 NFL Draft, Minnesota sent Green Bay the No. 34 overall selection, which the Packers used on Watson, in exchange for two second-round picks.
The Vikings have shown they’re willing to deal with Green Bay when the return makes sense. Whether they’d do so now, while protecting an unbeaten start, is a different question.
For a Packers team trying to keep pace in the division, the issue isn’t simply whether Jennings can help. It’s how much Minnesota would demand to let him.
Shane Shoemaker Shane Shoemaker is a sports journalist covering college football and the NFL for Heavy.com. His work has also appeared in The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, USA TODAY, and ClutchPoints, along with high school sports coverage for the Marion Tribune. More about Shane Shoemaker