The Jordan Addison Legal Update
The Minnesota Vikings nudged their 2024 win-loss record to 5-0 on Sunday, and per original scheduling, wide receiver Jordan Addison was on deck for a court date the following day, Monday, October 7th.
The Jordan Addison Legal Update
California Highway Patrol arrested Addison in July for driving under the influence, his second legal infraction since joining the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft.
But according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Addison’s court date is now December 3rd, rescheduled from October 7. “The arraignment and plea hearing for Vikings WR Jordan Addison, stemming from two misdemeanor charges in July for DUI, is now scheduled for Dec. 3, according to Superior Court of California online records. Had been scheduled for Monday,” Seifert tweeted Monday night.
In all likelihood, any decision stemming from December 3rd will be set for the offseason, establishing a would-be Addison suspension for the 2025 season.
Most onlookers expect Addison to serve a three-game suspension if convicted or he pleads guilty.
On July 12th, Addison was arrested near Los Angeles International Airport for suspicion of DUI while asleep in his Rolls-Royce that blocked a lane of freeway traffic — about a week after his rookie teammate Khyree Jackson was killed in Maryland by an alleged drunk driver.
Moreover, according to Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, alcohol was indeed a factor in Addison’s arrest. “Addison was charged on July 31 with driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with blood-alcohol content over California’s legal limit of .08 percent, after officers found him asleep behind the wheel of a white Rolls-Royce blocking lanes of a highway near the airport,” Goessling wrote in August.
Goessling added, “He has an Oct. 7 appearance in Los Angeles court to be arraigned and enter his plea for the charges. If he is convicted or pleads guilty, he could face up to six months in jail, pay fines up to $2,000 or lose his driver’s license for up to six months.”
Addison arrived at Vikings training camp in late July, prepared to learn from the mistake, accept his forthcoming consequence, and move on. “Whatever’s out there for me, whatever comes with it, I’ll own up to everything. I feel like anything that comes my way is meant to happen or is deserved,” Addison told reporters.
Two days prior, Vikings leaders Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell expressed disappointment in Addison, generally speaking, but preached support for the 22-year-old.
“We’re disappointed in Jordan. We care about these players. We really do. We want to make sure we’re doing our part for the development on the field,” O’Connell said on July 22nd. “The other aspect of that is the off-the-field, the life skills, and the development of decision-making and learning how important it is within our culture — which we’re very proud of — that our players understand personal responsibility and accountability.”
The “perk” of the delayed court date allows the Vikings’ front office to possibly prepare for life without Addison for a few games in 2025 during the offseason.
Addison has also battled two ankle sprains this season, missing two games against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans, both wins for the purple team.
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 Vikings 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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