Jennings signs on as Vikings' No. 1 receiver

Yet another former Packer is coming to town. Greg Jennings was being introduced Friday night at Winter Park after reportedly agreeing to a five-year deal.

March 16, 2013 at 1:41AM
Greg Jennings breaks away for a 24-yard touchdown reception during the first half of game against the Vikings. Jennings signed with Minnesota on Friday.
Green Bay Packers' Greg Jennings breaks away for a 24-yard touchdown reception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer) ORG XMIT: MIN2013031419552839 (Dml - Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Every three or four years, a former Packers star decides to come west and bail the Vikings out of a gigantic jam.

Ryan Longwell filled a gaping hole at kicker in 2006 and went on to post six successful seasons. Brett Favre stepped in for a QB-starved outfit in 2009 and led it to within seconds of a Super Bowl. And now former Packers receiver Greg Jennings has signed on with a Vikings team that's bone dry at receiver and hasn't had a legitimate No. 1 wideout since Sidney Rice was catching passes from Favre in 2009. Jennings' deal is for five years, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Jennings doesn't fit Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman's normal parameters for a free agent. Jennings will turn 30 in September and has missed 11 games because of knee and core muscle injuries over the past two seasons.

But here's what Jennings is: Productive. Although he caught only 36 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns in 2012, he did post 1,100-yard seasons from 2008 to 2010.

Jennings will be introduced during a press conference at Winter Park at 7:15 p.m. We'll have more later this evening.

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

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