The Minnesota Vikings have built one of the league’s better records this season largely on the strength of a defense that ranks near the top in points allowed and total yards. At 6-1 and first in the NFC North, the team enters a prime-time matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium with plenty of attention on how its offense can keep pace.
That offense has been inconsistent. Passing production sits near the bottom of the league, and the wide receiver group has dealt with injuries and limited production behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jauan Jennings has been ruled out for Monday with a calf injury, while quarterback Kyler Murray is also sidelined with a hamstring strain, leaving Carson Wentz to start.
Depth at the skill positions has been a recurring topic in practice weeks. Coaches have spoken about needing reliable options who can step in quickly when the primary targets are limited, especially in a game against a Bills team that also sits at 6-1.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Vikings plan to sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of the Monday night contest. The move would give the 33-year-old veteran a chance to suit up for Minnesota after spending the past month on the practice squad.
Beckham joined the Vikings in early October shortly after the New York Giants released him following a brief return to the team that drafted him in 2014. He appeared in three games for New York this season without recording a catch. Minnesota added him for depth while Jefferson and Addison worked through early-season injuries.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has a prior connection with Beckham from their time together with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, when O’Connell was the offensive coordinator and Beckham contributed to the team’s Super Bowl run. The two also crossed paths indirectly through other coaching staff ties.
O’Connell has indicated recent progress.
“Been encouraged by Odell this week in practice. It’s certainly something we’re thinking about, but we likely will have an elevation,” the coach said ahead of the Bills game.
Beckham has spoken positively about the opportunity in Minnesota since signing. He noted that O’Connell reached out personally after the Giants cut him and that the fit felt right. “I had a great time [in Los Angeles] when I was there with him,” Beckham said at the time of his practice-squad arrival.
The elevation comes at a point when the Vikings have already used Beckham sparingly. He was elevated once earlier in the season for a game against the Saints but remained inactive once Jefferson was cleared. Since then, he has continued working with the practice squad without regular game-day activations.
Career production for Beckham includes more than 500 receptions and nearly 8,000 yards across stints with the Giants, Browns, Rams, Ravens and Dolphins. His peak years featured Pro Bowl selections and the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year award, though recent seasons have shown a clear drop in volume and explosiveness.
Monday’s game against Buffalo offers a national stage. The Bills bring a potent offense led by Josh Allen, and Minnesota’s defense will be tested while the offense looks for any available spark from its receivers. Adding Beckham provides a veteran body who knows the system from past exposure under O’Connell.
Whether the move results in significant snaps remains to be seen. The Vikings still have other practice-squad options at receiver, and the coaching staff has emphasized working through specific game situations. Still, the decision to activate Beckham signals that the team views him as ready for a larger role this week.
Minnesota’s overall approach this season has leaned on controlling games defensively while searching for more consistency on the other side of the ball. With Wentz under center and Jennings unavailable, the receiver room needs every available contributor who can run routes and create separation.
Beckham’s presence also carries a personal element. He is a New Orleans native who has longstanding ties to LSU and has described playing alongside Jefferson as an appealing factor when he chose Minnesota over other options in October.
The Vikings host Buffalo at 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN and ABC. Any activation of Beckham would be among the final roster decisions before kickoff, as teams finalize elevations and inactives in the hours leading up to the game.
For a player who has bounced between teams in recent years while seeking one more productive stretch, the call-up represents another opportunity to show he can still contribute at the NFL level. The Vikings, focused on maintaining their division lead, appear willing to give him that chance on Monday night.
