Zimmer: Vikings were “showcasing” Laquon Treadwell on Sunday night

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Yes, that’s exactly the word he used

Sunday started out with reports that the Minnesota Vikings had gotten some interest in a potential trade for wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, specifically from the New York Giants. Following a pretty solid performance in the Vikings’ 25-19 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at U.S. Bank Stadium, head coach Mike Zimmer may have confirmed the Vikings’ intentions as well.

Whether he wanted to or not.

Numerous sources are reporting this quote from Zimmer from Sunday night’s post-game press conference, but we’re going to site Arif Hasan because. . .well, one of us, am I right?

Zimmer at the podium mentioned that they were trying to get Treadwell the ball in the second half, and said they were trying to "showcase" him a little bit, which is at the very least a very easy word to read into

— Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) August 19, 2019

Yes, Mike Zimmer told the assembled media on Sunday that the Vikings were “showcasing” Treadwell, keeping him in for much of the second half with the third-string offense.

Or, to put it another way. . .if anyone wants him, he’s available.

Treadwell, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2016, appears to be falling behind on the wide receiver depth chart. He hasn’t seen much time with the first-string offense this preseason, but had a decent performance on Sunday night, catching several passes from Kyle Sloter in the second half.

If the Vikings were to trade Treadwell for a late-round pick, it could free up a little over $1 million in cap space for a team that could use some as we get closer to the start of the regular season. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract, and the team did not pick up his fifth-year option, which means that this is likely his final year with the Vikings in some way, shape, or form.

Honestly, I’m kind of surprised that Zimmer. . .who is not generally known for being forthcoming with information in settings like these. . .actually put this in easily understandable terms. It’s certainly out of character for him, that’s for sure.

We’ve still got a couple of weeks left in the preseason before rosters are finalized, so we’ll have to see if the Vikings will continue to “showcase” Treadwell in such a manner.

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