Jordan Addison Officially Weighs In on Trade Rumors
From the man’s lips, it was all a misinterpretation.
Jordan Addison Officially Weighs In on Trade Rumors
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison posted a photo of himself to Instagram last weekend with a “FREE 3” caption, his personal motto since the collegiate days at the University of Pittsburgh.
The problem? Folks thought “FREE 3” meant he wanted to be freed from the Vikings organization via trade. But that was false.
“People just try to make something out of anything. It ain’t nothing,” Addison said via ESPN this week.
Because Vikings fans are familiar with cryptic wide receiver slogans courtesy of the Stefon Diggs era, many pounced on the innocent Instagram post to announce Addison’s disgruntlement.
Addison added, “I think I came up with that in 2020 fall camp at Pittsburgh. So that’s where that started. People got to do their homework before they start saying stuff.”
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio advanced the rumors after Addison’s FREE3 Instagram post, stirring the pot to suggest he would be traded. “If anything, the Vikings will be buyers and not sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. That hasn’t stopped one of their best young players from sending a social-media message that has sparked speculation he’d like a fresh start,” Florio wrote last weekend.
“Second-year receiver Jordan Addison has posted a photo of himself in uniform on Instagram, with the caption: ‘Free 3.'”
Addison would just like the ball more frequently, an ordinary request from a wide receiver and one most fans understand — and endorse. Addison is that dynamic.
Florio added while acknowledging that Addison’s teammate, Mekhi Blackmon, smacked down the trade rumor: “That lit the fuse. The photo remains. Teammate Mekhi Blackmon, who also played with Addison at USC, posted in response to a tweet suggesting Addison wants out, “No tf he not.”
“Regardless, the photo and the caption haven’t changed. And the current generation of athletes knows (or should know) how certain things will be interpreted,” Florio concluded.
Addison even wore the FREE3 chain when the Vikings drafted him a year and a half ago — which should’ve smacked down the faux trade rumors in their tracks. But for a site like ProFootballTalk, it was evidently just too irresistible.
The young wideout has logged 23 receptions for 231 yards and has banked a couple of touchdowns this year. He missed two games to injury earlier in the season, and his current pace is 561 receiving yards — a slow-down from his 911 yards last year and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023.
The Vikings take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football and hope to end a two-game losing skid.
The NFL’s trade deadline — which Addison won’t be a part of — is one week away.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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