The Minnesota Vikings added two new faces to their team who have faced each other before. Kyler Murray, who comes after the Arizona Cardinals cut ties with him, and Jauan Jennings, who left the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent.
As a result, the two players, being in the NFC West, are quite familiar with each other. Nonetheless, both players are now on the same side in Minnesota, and on June 9, Murray spoke about his familiarity with Jennings from afar.
“I played against him for multiple years now,” Murray told reporters. “I’ll say he’s a lot smoother than I thought, obviously being on the other sideline. He’s always come off as a dirtbag type of guy, a rough guy.
“I mean dirtbag in a way that he just gets it done. You know what I mean? It may not be pretty, it may not be the prettiest, but 14 is going to get it done. Again, being on the other side watching it has been tough.”
Last season with the 49ers, Jennings posted a 68.3 overall PFF grade, finishing with 55 catches on 88 targets for 643 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 11.7 yards per reception. Furthermore, he recorded 180 yards after the catch and had three drops during the season.
Jauan Jennings Brings Major Traits to the Vikings
Moreover, Murray shared a characteristic that Jennings will bring to the Vikings that he’s seen from the other side while playing with the Cardinals.
“I think the last time I played against him, he got into a fight, he got kicked out of the game, but that’s the type of energy he brings to the team, energy he brings to the game,” Murray added. “Obviously he loves it. He’s passionate. I’m glad he’s on my side now. I know what he’s going to bring every Sunday.”
It will be interesting to see if Murray can find a connection with Jennings after the two players had been rivals during their time in the NFC West. Nonetheless, it appears the Vikings QB is excited to have Jennings on his team and to throw him the football.
J.J. McCarthy Shares His True Thoughts on Jauan Jennings
While the Vikings are hopeful that Jennings fits into that WR3 role and is a reliable option for whoever wins the QB battle, there’s another aspect of his game that Jennings can bring: getting under his opponents’ skin.
Jennings will be looking to replace the production that Jalen Nailor leaves behind, but the veteran could also bring the edge that makes it challenging for opposing teams to play against him.
On May 27, J.J. McCarthy spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on Jennings’ arrival as the Vikings QB could be throwing him the ball should he win the signal-caller competition.
“I’m so happy to have that guy as part of the squad,” McCarthy told reporters. “[Jennings has] got great energy about him. I’ve been watching him for a long time. He’s been doing it at a really high level for a long time, and we’re blessed to have him as part of this group.”
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