EAGAN, Minn. — After being waived by the Minnesota Vikings at the end of preseason, Laquon Treadwell vowed to become the “Comeback Kid.” The 24-year-old receiver said he’s not there yet, but he’s on his way.

Treadwell, re-signed by Minnesota entering Week 4, produced the two longest plays of his NFL career in the past two games. He finally provided fans at least a glimpse of what they were hoping for when the Vikings made Treadwell the No. 23 pick in the 2016 draft.

“I’ve wanted to give the fans what they wanted out of me,” he said. “It wasn’t about like proving it to them, just giving them what they expected. A guy drafted really high, (fans) want great plays from him.”

The Vikings lost 37-30 at Seattle on Dec. 2, but Treadwell gave them life in the fourth quarter. With the Vikings trailing by 17 points, he caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins, the longest play of his career, to cut the deficit to 34-24 with 12:49 remaining.

In Sunday’s 20-7 home victory over Detroit, Treadwell had two receptions for 42 yards, including the second-longest play of his career, a 36-yard pass from Cousins in the fourth quarter, highlighted by him breaking a tackle that tacked on 18 yards after contact.

“It was really impressive,” Treadwell said.

Treadwell has earned the right to gloat a bit. After all, he was considered a bust after catching just 56 passes for 517 yards in his first three seasons combined before being waived with one year and $1.8 million ($1.15 million guaranteed) remaining on his contract.

He returned to the Vikings after Chad Beebe suffered an ankle injury in Week 3, but he didn’t do much more than block in his first five games back, catching just two passes for 16 yards.

Treadwell has gotten more involved since the Vikings lost another key receiver, Adam Thielen, whose hamstring injury has kept him out the past four games and five of the past six. After Thielen aggravated the injury in the first quarter Nov. 3 at Kansas City, the last game he played, Treadwell caught three passes for 58 yards.

Treadwell has a modest nine catches on the season, but is averaging an impressive 20.4 yards per grab.

“He’s getting more opportunities to make plays, and he has made them when he’s had the opportunities,” coach Mike Zimmer said.

Through it all, Treadwell is making sure he remains on an even keel. He said things have changed since his first go-round with the team, when he was under a four-year, $9.93 million rookie contract.

“I’m more of a day-by-day guy now,” he said. “When I came here, I knew I was on a four-year contract. I wouldn’t say it’s a sense of urgency (now), but my perspective has changed. I’m day-to-day, play-to-play, not looking at the long term. I’m just here in the moment.”

Treadwell is playing under a prorated minimum contract of $720,000. But he isn’t getting any additional money this season beyond the $1.15 million he was guaranteed through his previous contract.

Treadwell at least is in line to finish the season on the roster. For a while, that didn’t look to be the case.

Beebe hoped he could return to action, but his right ankle didn’t heal the way he wanted it and he underwent season-ending surgery in November.

Treadwell was waived Aug. 31, and three days later, the Vikings signed another receiver, Josh Doctson, who was drafted one pick ahead of him in 2016 before being released by the Washington Redskins after three seasons. Soon after joining the Vikings, Doctson was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, then activated for a Nov. 17 game against Denver.

That turned out to be the only game Doctson played. The Vikings waived him while holding onto Treadwell.

“I can never really say I feel secure (on the roster) because being secure means you’re not striving,” Treadwell said. “I don’t want to be comfortable. I always want to be pushing myself to be better.”