Jordan Addison Offhandedly Thrown in Trade Chatter
The NFL trade deadline is two weeks away on the nose, and some around the league believe that Minnesota Vikings wideout Jordan Addison could be a legitimate trade candidate.
The Minnesota Vikings almost certainly won’t trade wide receiver Jordan Addison, but there are a few national rumblings about the possibility.
Minnesota has a 3-3 record through seven weeks, and no one is too sure if the organization will buy, sell, or stand pat before the deadline.
SI.com’s Albert Breer Floats Jordan Addison as Trade Candidate
It’s severely unlikely that the Vikings would offload Addison.
Jordan Addison Trade Chatter Is Out There
Speaking on the New England Patriots’ potential plans of acquiring a high-octane wide receiver, Breer mentioned Addison this week as a trade target for Drake Maye’s team.
He remarked, “My understanding is that their approach is going to be to take a long-term view of this whole thing. I think you have to put these into two buckets. Right? Short-term vs. long-term. I think if there is a short-term buy here for them, it’s going to be more of a depth piece. Then you get to the long-term bucket.”
“This is where I think you’d be looking at guys that might mirror the opportunity they were looking at a year ago in Brandon Aiyuk where you can bring in a guy that can help you now and also be a building block for you going forward. Who could that be? Maybe a Chris Olave in New Orleans. Maybe a Jordan Addison in Minnesota. Guys that are nearing the end of their rookie deals and their teams like the player, but maybe don’t plan to sign them long-term.”
That’s assuredly not a smoking gun for an Addison trade, but it is one of the first notable mentions of Addison as a gettable asset from a national viewpoint.
Then What at WR?
If Minnesota fulfilled the Breer recommendation and traded Addison elsewhere, it would effectively surrender any hopes for 2025 playoff contention.
The club has a 3-3 record right now, and with J.J. McCarthy returning to the starting lineup soon, Minnesota can embark on an exciting season with McCarthy shining — or devolve into irrelevance if McCarthy performs foolishly.
So, for example, if Breer has it right, the Vikings would probably have a 3-5 record after Week 9, trade Addison, and roll with a skeleton crew the rest of the way, featuring Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Adam Thielen, Tai Felton, and Myles Price.
The Return Package if So
What would Addison fetch on the open market? Probably a 2nd-Rounder.
He has the talent to net a 1st-Round pick, especially at age 23, but his off-the-field decision-making has turned heads — in a bad way — over the last 2.5 years. Addison has been arrested for two driving infractions — one speeding 140 MPH as if he lived in Germany and the other a DUI-adjacent crime in Los Angeles.
Addison also missed a team walkthrough a couple of weeks ago in London, prompting a one-quarter bench assignment provided by head coach Kevin O’Connell as a disciplinary measure.
All that tomfoolery suggests Addison could command a 2nd-Round pick if traded, which probably won’t happen in the first place.
Other Trade Candidates?
Other than Addison, the Vikings could explore trading linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who was benched in Week 7 upon Blake Cashman’s return to the lineup. Cashman regained his starting job while Minnesota sent Pace Jr. to the bench, keeping veteran linebacker Eric Wilson in the lineup.
In theory, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could offload Pace Jr. to a linebacker-needy team for a late-round pick.
Depending on its record after Week 9, Minnesota is probably more likely to acquire a player than to ship one elsewhere.
Patriots-Themed Media on an Addison Deal
Chowder and Champions‘ Richard Louis suggested a lower trade package for Addison this week — go figure — in New England’s theoretical pursuit of the electric playmaker.
Louis explained, “Offering Minnesota a 2026 third-round pick and 2026 sixth-round pick would likely be enough to get the Vikings to trade Addison over to the Patriots.”
“The Patriots have been looking to improve their receiving core for years now and were able to achieve that a bit when they added Stefon Diggs in free agency this past March. He’s leading the team in catches (39) and receiving yards (456) but adding another dynamic receiver would only make this a better offense.”
In reality, Adofo-Mensah would probably hang up the phone if a team dangled a 3rd-Rounder for Addison. Too low.
“The Vikings have superstar Justin Jefferson in the fold already and Addison has given them some problems off the field recently. He was suspended for the first three games of this season since he violated the league’s substance abuse policy, when he was arrested in Los Angeles for a DUI,” Louis continued.
“Some hiccups continued into the regular season, as Addison was benched in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns. It was labeled as a coach’s decision before he returned for the remainder of the game. While these are some things to consider before making a deal, Addison would give Drake Maye an explosive playmaker.”
Addison will turn 24 in January.
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