Odell Beckham Jr.’s arrival could be a message to Jauan Jennings

The Vikings didn’t sign receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for P.R. purposes. They signed him to help the team win games.

And they may have signed him to send a clear message to receiver Jauan Jennings.

Jennings, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason, has yet to provide the Vikings with much of a return on their investment. In three games, he has been targeted four times, making two catches for nine yards.

On Sunday, with Justin Jefferson out, Jennings participated in 95 percent of the offensive snaps. He was targeted once.

Beckham eventually could become the No. 3 receiver, behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison. With both of them stressing defenses (and with tight end T.J. Hockenson developing into a reliable weapon for quarterback Kyler Murray), Beckham could find favorable matchups and plenty of opportunities to make plays.

If nothing else, Beckham’s presence will provide a wakeup call for Jennings. Or for second-year receiver Tai Felton, who has only one catch for 14 yards on three targets in four 2026 games.

Regardless, Beckham is there for a reason. And the reason seems to be that, beyond Jefferson and Addison, the receiving corps hasn’t been good enough.