Apr 26, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Jordan Addison poses with "Fight On" sign during NFL Draft Play Football Clinic at Central High School. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested Friday in California for suspicion of DUI, asleep in his Rolls-Royce while blocking freeway traffic.
Not ideal.
Then, in the incident’s aftermath, some fans noticed that the young playmaker had scrubbed his Instagram profile of anything related to the Vikings, such as logos, uniforms, etc.
On Tuesday, though, Addison restored Vikings logos to his Instagram profile, which some interpreted as optimistic about his future with the team.
As a source of clarity, Instagram pictures are notoriously low-caliber indicators of anything. However, there really isn’t much downside to Addison restoring his profile to its normal state, so fans will take what they can get via positivity.
Last July, Addison was charged with reckless driving after traveling 140 MPH in a 55 MPH zone in the Twin Cities. He said after the incident last summer, “Yesterday morning, I made a mistake and used poor judgment. I recognize and own that. I am going to learn from this and not repeat the behavior. I am truly sorry.”
Already no stranger to legal woes, Addison performed marvelously during his first season with the Vikings, tabulating 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. He’s the second wide receiver behind Justin Jefferson.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling shed some light on the situation on Monday. “I think the point you made, though, about DUI is a good one in the sense that the arrest report does not talk about BAC content,” Goessling said on KFAN. “If it was an edible or something and not alcohol, that’s legal in California. So that may change all of the nature of this, too. So if it’s alcohol … I think the precedent for that is three games, and the optics of it obviously are really bad at the moment.”
All in all, onlookers of Vikings football are in an awkward spot, trying to determine if Addison has a reckoning on the way via suspension or if he was involved in a bizarre misunderstanding. That’s why the Instagram hints are too irresistible for some.
No matter what, the focus has turned to Addison’s legal agenda for a second consecutive summer.
More will be learned about Addison’s ordeal — for better or worse — when training camp heats up next week. Rookies report to Eagan on Sunday, with veterans arriving on Tuesday, July 23rd.
In theory, if Addison were suspended, Minnesota would be in a discomfiting spot with no clear-cut WR2 alternative on the roster.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
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