Big Injection Arrives for Vikings This Week
The Minnesota Vikings turned an early-season corner on Sunday, crushing the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium by a score of 48-10.
The Minnesota Vikings are 2-1 through three games, with a trip abroad impending, the team will get a huge boost on offense this week.
Fans rejoiced at the outcome, especially after the same club performed terribly seven days prior at the same stadium.
And with the enthusiasm renewed, the operation will only sweeten because wide receiver Jordan Addison has concluded his suspension and will debut for the Vikings in 2025 this weekend.
Vikings WR2 Is Back
The man missed three games due to his shenanigans.
Jordan Addison Back after Suspension
A footnote late Sunday because Minnesota won so handily, Addison will return to the Vikings lineup this week. In the summer of 2024, Addison was arrested for a DUI-adjacent offence in California, found asleep by authorities behind the wheel in Los Angeles.
Addison pleaded the charge down to a “wet reckless” infraction, and the NFL brought the hammer down, suspending the 23-year-old for three games.
Now, that suspension is over, and Addison paid his price. He’s back.
Taking the Offense to a New Level
Hardly any NFL team can just welcome back an electric playmaker to its lineup free of injury worries. But that’s precisely the case for Addison, who will be 100% good to go this Sunday in Dublin, Ireland.
Addison returns to a Vikings offense that ranks 28th in the league per EPA/Play, which means it desperately needs an injection from a willing playmaker. Addison is that. Full stop.
Minnesota drafted Addison in Round 1 two and a half years ago, and from the jump — in his first-ever NFL game — the man flourished. He’s the perfect complement to Justin Jefferson, a salt and pepper arrangement that the Vikings will showcase in six days.
Kevin O’Connell’s team might have some quarterback questions — J.J. McCarthy is nursing a high ankle sprain back to health — but Addison can cook with anyone. In fact, McCarthy and Addison forged a fabulous connection at training camp and in the preseason.
No Clear-Cut Alternative without Addison
Sans Addison in the lineup, Minnesota has struggled to identify and empower a trustworthy WR2.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for Adam Thielen before the season began. Thielen has 2 receptions for 26 yards in 3 games. That’s horrible, especially as the trade appeared to be designed to keep the offense afloat without Addison for three games. To date, the trade has flopped.
Moreover, it took T.J. Hockenson three games to get going this season, only catching fire on Sunday in the win over Cincinnati. Others, like Jalen Nailor, have contributed at a normal clip.
The takeaway? Absolutely no one has even remotely replaced Addison’s usual production.
Hopefully the Last of Addison’s Infractions
In July 2023, Addison was arrested for driving 140 MPH in a 65 MPH zone in the Twin Cities. He mitigated that situation with a slap on the wrist from the NFL and his employer. Then, one year later, he was popped in California for the most recent transgression.
After both deeds, Addison vowed to improve and accepted his suspension with grace, not even bothering to appeal it.
The summer of 2025 brought no fresh antics from Addison, so fans will hope that he has matured on the fly. Until recently, his bad behavior felt like a trend or throwback to the Vikings’ mid-2000s era of trouble-making.
PurplePTSD on Addison
Our Janik Eckardt wrote about Addison this week, “The 23-year-old was explicitly drafted to step into that WR2 role to become JJets’ wingman, and he has been excellent in that role with nearly 1,800 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first two seasons.”
“Early in his career, he snatched the WR2 gig from K.J. Osborn and was even asked to become the primary outside option during his rookie season when Jefferson was out with a hamstring injury. Last year, Addison missed a couple of games early in the season due to an ankle injury, which explains why his total numbers slightly dipped.”
Addison should have no problems building rapport with Carson Wentz.
Eckardt added, “In training camp, Addison was a superstar for the Vikings. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to take advantage of the great connection between him and J.J. McCarthy because the passer is hurt. Instead, he has to familiarize himself with Carson Wentz rather quickly.”
“Regardless, he is a playmaker, one who can score at any point in the game, and his ability to come down with contested catches is absurd considering his size limitations. That skillset forces defenses to either give him some respect or he can fry them if they focus too much on Jefferson. Either way, the Vikings’ offense will benefit from having the standout receiver on the field on Sunday in Ireland.”
Minnesota is favored to defeat Pittsburgh by two or three points in Addison’s return.
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