Vikings release former first-round WR

N’Keal Harry‘s time in Minnesota has proven to be very short-lived. The former first-round receiver was released on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Harry signed earlier this month in his latest attempt to find a long-term NFL home. He began his career with the Patriots in 2019, but he was unable to live up to expectations. The No. 32 pick in that year’s class made just 57 catches across three seasons in New England.

That underwhelming production resulted in a trade to Chicago with the Bears taking a flier on the Arizona State product. Harry was limited to seven games with the Bears, however, and he made the same number of catches. He thus had very little in the way of interest when his rookie deal expired, needing to wait until August to land a veteran minimum contract in search of a depth role in Minnesota.

A lower-body injury suffered in warmups before the Vikings’ last preseason game resulted in Harry’s contract being terminated, reports ESPN’s Kevin Seifert (link). Recovery from the ailment will be needed for the 25-year-old to find a spot on an active roster or a practice squad, likely after the dust has settled following next week’s roster cutdowns.

With the spot opened up by Harry’s release, the Vikings signed safety Jake Gervase. The latter spent the first four years of his career with the Rams, seeing very limited game time until last season. The former UDFA suited up for 14 contests in 2022, continuing his heavy usage on special teams. He will look to earn a third-phase role in Minnesota in the coming days and in doing so secure a 53-man roster spot.