Vikings Fans Await Verdicts on 2 Big-Ticket Items
Minnesota Vikings training camp is five days away, with rookies reporting for duty on Sunday.
Vikings Fans Await Verdicts on 2 Big-Ticket Items
Sportsbooks forecast the purple team to win about seven games in 2024 — after a 7-10 finish in 2023. The seven-win outlook would inconveniently plop Minnesota in last place inside the NFC North, at least according to oddsmakers.
And with the build-up to training camp firmly in motion, Vikings fans await verdicts on two big-ticket items, neither of which is overly optimistic.
J.J. McCarthy & Dallas Turner Contracts
McCarthy is the Minnesota Vikings’ new rookie quarterback, and he hasn’t signed his contract. Neither has fellow 1st-Rounder Dallas Turner, Minnesota’s direct EDGE replacement for Danielle Hunter, who bolted in free agency to the Houston Texans.
Generally speaking, McCarthy and Turner will eventually sign their deals — and that will be that. However, with the rookie segment of training camp kicking off Sunday, only rostered players can participate.
This creates a mock deadline for the Vikings, McCarthy, and Turner, at least for observers who want to see the new players on the practice field. The rumor mill has stipulated McCarthy wants his signing bonus upfront.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling joined KFAN on Monday and said about McCarthy, “It’s one of those things where deadlines tend to spur action on this stuff. My guess is it is done late next week before they are on the field, especially for a guy like J.J. McCarthy, who they do not want missing time.”
Again, these contracts will get signed — the Vikings won’t let their 1st-Rounders whittle into eternity. It’s just a better look if both are at training camp on Sunday.
So, it’s a waiting game. One that Goessling believes has an imminent endgame.
Details on Jordan Addison’s Arrest
Addison was arrested for suspicion of DUI near Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.
Los Angeles Daily News published, “The California Highway Patrol was dispatched at about 11:10 p.m. Friday to a report of a disabled vehicle blocking lanes from the westbound Glen Anderson (105) Freeway to northbound Sepulveda Boulevard, according to a CHP statement.”
California Highway Patrol also reported that Addison was asleep in his Rolls-Royce when officers arrived on the scene.
Addison, already no stranger to legal woes, performed wonderfully during his first season with the Vikings, tabulating 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. He’s Minnesota’s WR2 behind Justin Jefferson.
Curiously, however, the arrest report made no mention of Addison’s BAC. Still, blocking a lane of freeway traffic while asleep, well, needs resolution. Therefore, because of Addison’s splotchy driving record, folks want to know the Addison verdict. If he’s suspended, Vikings football turns into a brand new ball of wax, with a quarterback throwing the football to Justin Jefferson, Brandon Powell, and possibly Robert Tonyan as T.J. Hockenson recovers from a torn ACL. That’s a steep departure from Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson, especially with a new quarterback in the saddle.
The Vikings stated about the latest Addison incident last weekend: “We are aware of Jordan Addison’s arrest this past Friday and are currently gathering more information regarding the incident.”
We wait.
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).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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