Vikings rookie Jordan Addison likes his chances for quick success

Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison said he has set weekly goals for his rookie season, but he doesn't want to "put any stat or numbers out there." He will achieve one lifelong goal when he runs out of the tunnel during Sunday's season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

"As a kid, this is always where I wanted to be playing in the NFL," Addison said. "I never knew what team it was going to be, but now that it's the Vikings, I get to go put that logo on and live that dream."

Addison, the 23rd overall pick out of USC, is listed behind fourth-year receiver K.J. Osborn on the team's first depth chart of the regular season, but he's expected to have a prominent role when the Vikings deploy three receivers, as they often did last season.

He knows he will have to beat only one defender with Justin Jefferson commanding attention.

"That's what excites me, to get that one-on-one matchup," Addison said. "I know he's going to take a lot of attention, so really all I got to do is make sure I win … and catch the ball."

Quarterback Kirk Cousins said he's looking forward to getting Addison involved right away.

"He's been a capable player all of training camp," Cousins said. "He just continues to make plays and show that he's a natural receiver in the way he runs routes and the way he catches the football. So I'm excited to get him out there in the real deal."

Cousins was asked Wednesday how he's approaching this regular season knowing he's playing for a new contract in 2024, either with the Vikings or another NFL team.

"That's been my whole life in this league," Cousins said. "I'm only as good as my last pass, my last practice, so it's sort of been life for me [even] back in college in quarterback competitions with Nick Foles. You're going out there every day and putting your job on the line."

Second-year wide receiver Jalen Nailor has earned the trust from coaches to play all three positions — split end, flanker and slot — and could be the next man up if Jefferson, Osborn or Addison need a breather. Nailor said he has recovered from the calf injury that sidelined him during training camp.

"It messed up a little bit of what I was trying to build," Nailor said of the injury. "I was coming off OTAs feeling really good. It set me back a little bit, but I'm still confident and I feel like I'm back in rhythm and ready to roll."

Cornerback NaJee Thompson, an undrafted rookie from Georgia Southern, said he expects to be active Sunday and have a special teams role. He was a standout in punt coverage during two preseason games before suffering a concussion and should help the team replace standout punt gunner Kris Boyd, who left in free agency for the Arizona Cardinals.

"I've dreamed of this moment for years," Thompson said. "Talked about it when I was a freshman in college, and said the way I was going to be able to make it [on special teams] has manifested."

Vikings coaches have discussed deploying fullback C.J. Ham as a third-down option and pass protector this season. The 30-year-old Ham, a former running back at Augustana (S.D.), said he's looking forward to whatever role is in store during coach Kevin O'Connell's second season.

"It's fun when I get those opportunities," Ham said. "I get to go back. Everybody says I'm a fullback, which I am, but I was a ball carrier for longer in my career than I was a fullback, so it is nice to break those moves back out."

* Linebacker Troy Dye wore a brace on his left elbow during practice as the only player on the team's first injury report. He was a full participant.

* Reporters saw running back Kene Nwangwu, who is on injured reserve because of a lower back injury, work on a side field with a trainer for the first time Wednesday. Nwangwu has been sidelined since early August.

* O'Connell said defenders worked on "nonverbal communication" during practices to prepare for the noise at U.S. Bank Stadium. "And that's just fine by me," he said. "We'll be expecting that place to be rocking on Sunday."

* The Vikings agreed to an injury settlement with undrafted rookie linebacker Abraham Beauplan and waived him from injured reserve.