Jalen Nailor Leaves Vikings, Lands Three-Year Deal With Raiders

After four years, Jalen Nailor's tenure with the Minnesota Vikings has come to an end. The former sixth-round pick and developmental success story is signing a three-year, $35 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He gets $23 million guaranteed.

Raiders have agreed to terms with WR Jalen Nailor on a three year, $35 million deal including $23 million guaranteed, per Ken Sarnoff and Joe DiBenedetto of 1 Of 1 Agency. pic.twitter.com/1CGC4CcSLu
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026

It always seemed likely that Nailor would wind up elsewhere once free agency began. The Vikings would've liked to keep him, but that's a significant price point for a No. 3 receiver. Now they'll look elsewhere for depth at wideout, with 2025 third-round pick Tai Felton potentially a candidate to compete for that job. Nailor's departure would seem to indicate that Minnesota plans to pick up Jordan Addison's fifth-year option this offseason.

Nailor, 27, joined the Vikings as the 191st overall pick out of Michigan State in the 2022 draft. He caught just 12 passes in his first two seasons. But Nailor continued to improve behind the scenes and had a breakout 2024 campaign after the departure of K.J. Osborn. Nailor caught 28 passes for 414 yards and 6 touchdowns that season. Then he followed it up with a similarly-productive 2025, in which he recorded a 29-444-4 line and showed more chemistry with J.J. McCarthy than anyone else on the roster, including Justin Jefferson and Addison.

The Vikings, Patriots, and Broncos showed interest in Nailor, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. But the winning bid went to the Raiders, who have been active so far on Monday. They also signed center Tyler Linderbaum to a massive contract and added a couple cornerbacks in Eric Stokes and Taron Johnson (via a trade with the Bills).

Nailor is set to play a significant role in a new-look Raiders offense that is coached by Klint Kubiak and is widely expected to have No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza running the show at quarterback. Nailor joins a wide receiver room that currently includes Tre Tucker, Donte Thornton Jr., and Jack Bech. The Raiders likely aren't done adding at that position, either.

It's a nice payday for Nailor, who spent his first four NFL seasons on a four-year, $3.8 million rookie contract. It'll be interesting to see how productive he can be in a bigger role in Las Vegas.

For the Vikings, this departure puts them in the market for wide receiver help. Felton is a WR3 candidate but he's also a major unknown after barely playing as a rookie. The Vikings will presumably look to sign a depth receiver in free agency and perhaps draft one as soon as Day 2 in April.