When the Seahawks decided to throw caution to the wind and released wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh yesterday, the general consensus was that the Vikings were the leader in the clubhouse to obtain his services for this season.

But a full day later, reality has sunk into the situation, with Minnesota making it fairly clear that they have no intention to sign Houshmandzadeh as of right now. The possibility still remains that the Vikings will bring him on board if he’s still available after week one, but for now, Houshmandzadeh will have to cool his jets without a place to call home.

Minnesota theoretically has a spot open for Houshmandzadeh right now, with the release of fellow receiver Javon Walker yesterday, but contractually speaking, it makes much more sense to bide their time and sign him in two weeks. At that point, the Vikings would only be on the hook for the guaranteed portion of his contract, which is likely to be minimal at best.

There are other potential options for Houshmandzadeh to look at, with St. Louis and Washington having a definite need at wide receiver. Neither team can offer much in the way of probability for post-season play this year, but there’s little doubt that playing time would be in abundance in both locations.

Oakland is also a possible destination, although the same thing is said for every free agent receiver that hits the market these days, so take that with a grain of salt.

In any case, Houshmandzadeh is going to have to temper his expectations significantly if he wants to find a new team soon, or take a break at home for a bit with his family and sign with a contender after season begins.

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