The Minnesota Vikings (4-0) signed veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to their practice squad Wednesday, and head coach Kevin O'Connell did not rule out elevating him for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints (1-3).

Beckham's addition comes as the Vikings deal with injuries at wide receiver. Justin Jefferson has been recovering from a sprained left ankle that caused him to miss Week 4 versus the Miami Dolphins. Jefferson returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis after sitting out for two weeks, but his status for Sunday remains undecided. Meanwhile, Jordan Addison missed Wednesday's practice because of a hamstring injury. O'Connell described Addison’s injury as minor and said he expected him to return later in the week.

Second-year withouts Felton and Myles Price have been rotating in the fourth- and fifth-receiver roles.

Minnesota's receiving depth has produced limited numbers. Jauan Jennings has caught two passes on four targets this season, while Jennings and Tai Felton have combined for only three receptions and 23 yards.

O'Connell has some experience getting Beckham ready on short notice. During the 2021 season, O'Connell was the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator when Beckham signed on a Thursday and played the following Monday. He caught two passes for 18 yards in that game. After the Rams' subsequent bye, Beckham recorded 81 yards and a touchdown, then caught a touchdown in five of the next six games. In four playoff contests that season, he garnered 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns, including a touchdown in the Super Bowl before suffering his second torn ACL.

“I've seen him do it before,” said O'Connell. “The good thing about our system is we've got some mechanisms that either he can quickly learn, and know those are absolutes if we need to go that route in the game, if he were to be elevated.”

Article Continues Below

The 33-year-old Beckham has not caught a regular-season pass since 2024, when he finished with nine receptions for 54 yards with the Dolphins. He spent the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, catching 35 passes after missing all of 2022 while recovering from an ACL injury.

Beckham returned to the New York Giants this year, catching seven passes for 76 yards during the preseason. He played 19-20 offensive snaps across the Giants' first three regular-season games, receiving one target and logging no receptions before being released last week.

Across his NFL career, Beckham has 575 receptions, 7,987 receiving yards and 59 touchdowns.