Getty

Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen.

The Minnesota Vikings showed their hand when they hosted wide receiver Jauan Jennings to a visit last week, but he showed his with a recent salary demand that Minnesota can’t feasibly match.

Putting the Jennings details aside for a brief moment, the Vikings clearly desire a WR3 to play alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in 2026. And if Jennings is going to be too expensive, Minnesota can look to an older, yet more accomplished, version of him in Keenan Allen.

Allen is a six-time Pro Bowler with north of 12,000 receiving yards over the course of his 13-year NFL career. He caught more passes (81) than Jennings (55) last season and tallied more receiving yards (777) than did Jennings (643).

Jennings found the end zone nine times, while Allen only caught four TDs in 2025, but the two offer similar value as possession receivers who thrive working across the first two levels of opposing defenses.

Allen is more explosive and an elite route runner with exceptional hands who can provide Minnesota with a high-level option in the red zone or on third down in either short-yardage or mid-range yardage to gain.

Jauan Jennings Wants Lucrative Contract that Might Prove too Expensive for Vikings

Allen would fit well alongside Jefferson and Addison as a No. 3 option. He would also be a much less expensive option than Jennings on a shorter-term contract.

At 34 years old, seven years Jennings’ senior, Allen has a projected market value of $6.8 million over one season. Meanwhile, Jennings is reportedly seeking “WR2 money,” which likely means something in neighborhood of $15-$20 million annually over a three- or four-year contract.

“Jauan Jennings, who met with the #Vikings last week, is looking for WR2 money, @AlbertBreer mentioned via @SInow,” the VikinzFanPage X account posted Tuesday, May 5.

Both Romeo Doubs of the New England Patriots and Rashid Shaheed of the Seattle Seahawks got $17 million annually this offseason, though Doubs received a four-year deal while Shaheed’s is only three seasons long.

Jennings is a physical receiver who finds the end zone with frequency and is also a good run blocker for the position, but $17 million annually is a steep price for the Vikings to pay with uncertainty at the quarterback and tight end positions likely to arise next offseason.

Vikings Must Be Careful Not to Overspend at WR3 with QB, TE Questions Looming Next Offseason

GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.

On the other hand, Allen is an established veteran with a better resumé who can offer much of what Jennings can at a cheaper price.

The flexibility of a one-year contract is also something Minnesota should value after picking up the $18 million fifth-year option for Addison in 2027. Jefferson’s salary cap hit balloons to $49.5 million two years from now, while tight end T.J. Hockenson will become a free agent next spring.

There is no guarantee that Kyler Murray will pan out as a non-traditional quarterback in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system on a one-year deal this season, which means the Vikings may need to spend significantly to add a new QB in free agency unless the team falls apart to such a degree that one of the top prospects in next year’s draft class becomes a legitimate option.