Jakobi Meyers requested a trade earlier in the week, and the Adam Thielen move indirectly affects his odds of finding a new team. The Minnesota Vikings needed another wide receiver, as Jordan Addison is serving a three-game suspension to start the season, and Jalen Nailor is recovering from a hand injury. With second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy set to make his regular season debut in just under two weeks, Minnesota needed to add someone to make the rookie’s life a bit easier.
With Thielen reuniting with his old team, the Minnesota Vikings are no longer in the Jakobi Meyers trade sweepstakes. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t find another team. Other organizations are still looking for reliable pass-catchers, and the former undrafted free agent could land with the New York Jets or Pittsburgh Steelers.
How the Adam Thielen Trade Affects Jakobi Meyers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going all-in for what could easily be the final year of Aaron Rodgers’ storied career. While the four-time NFL MVP isn’t the player he once was, Pittsburgh is doing everything it can to finally earn a playoff win in nearly a decade. While the team already traded for aging veterans in D.K. Metcalf, Jonnu Smith, and Jalen Ramsey, that shouldn’t stop them from pulling the trigger on Meyers.
Rodgers is still a starting-caliber quarterback, but he’s no longer capable of carrying a flawed roster on a deep playoff run. Metcalf is a great talent, but he’s the proven option in this offense. Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson have potential, but the aging Rodgers won’t want to waste time helping youngsters adjust to the NFL. This team needs someone who can help them right away, and Meyers fits that description.
New York Jets
Justin Fields has one last chance to prove himself as a legitimate franchise quarterback, but he’ll struggle to do it with the team’s current weapons. Garrett Wilson received a much-deserved raise, but the rest of the pass-catchers leave something to be desired. Fields is a fantastic athlete with one of the most exciting highlight reels out there, but he needs someone to help with his snap-to-snap consistency.
Jakobi Meyers has never been the flashiest wide receiver, but the trade target has been remarkably consistent since entering the NFL. While he’s nothing special after the catch, he’s great at creating separation at the top of routes and should provide a nice, stable target for Fields. Additionally, he’s always worked best as the second-best option in a passing attack, and that’s exactly what he’d be if paired with Garrett Wilson.
Seeing as Adam Thielen went to the Minnesota Vikings for what essentially amounts to a fourth-round pick, the Raiders will likely ask for a bit more in return for the younger Meyers. Only time will tell if either team is willing to make such a deal, but it doesn’t appear likely. Barring something unforeseen, Meyers will spend the 2025 season catching passes from Geno Smith on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images
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