Norv Turner Says Treadwell Will Be A Factor This Season

There hasn’t been a whole lot to complain about in the Minnesota Vikings’ 5-0 start to the 2016 regular season. One of the more curious developments, however, is the lack of production from the team’s first round draft choice, Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell.

In the Vikings’ first five games, Treadwell has played just 12 offensive snaps, and was even a “healthy scratch” for the Vikings in their victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. While a few rookie receivers have already started making their mark in the NFL, Treadwell really hasn’t gotten out of the starting blocks yet.

However, Vikings’ offensive coordinator Norv Turner. . .or, as we like to call him, NORV~!. . .says that there’s nothing to worry about, according to a sit down he had with SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this week.

The clip is about two minutes long, but NORV~! made it clear that he was pleased with Treadwell’s progress.

“I think he’s really doing well,” Turner told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan on Movin’ The Chains during the Vikings’ bye this week. “We kind of practiced against each other (Tuesday), and he caught four or five balls and he caught crossing routes and he caught balls over the middle, change-of-direction type things. He’s going to be a factor in our season.

As we’ve seen over the past few years, and as I highlighted in a talk that I had with our SB Nation neighbors for University of Mississippi Football, Red Cup Rebellion, the Vikings have gotten a reputation over the past couple of seasons for not pushing rookies out on the field before the team feels they’re ready. We saw that with Trae Waynes last season, and the team’s patience appears to have paid off.

It’s definitely way too early for anyone to be declaring Laquon Treadwell to be a bust just six weeks into his first NFL regular season, and I’m confident that whenever Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner feel he’s ready, he’ll be out there making an impact on Sundays.