This Jordan Addison Headline Is Actually Good News
Usually, when you read an article about Minnesota Vikings wideout Jordan Addison like this during the summer, it’s telling you about a nefarious driving infraction.
During the summer, Jordan Addison mostly makes headlines for the wrong reasons, but so far in 2025, there’s a slight change of pace.
That hasn’t occurred yet in 2025, and in fact, Addison received some national kudos this week, nominated by Bleacher Report as the NFL’s second-most underrated wide receiver.
Perhaps Addison can keep all headlines this rosy.
Jordan Addison Pulls Down Underrated WR Recognition
BR’s Alex Kay ranked the league’s most underrated wideouts on Monday, and Addison claimed the No. 2 rung on the ladder.
He wrote, “Despite playing second fiddle to one of the NFL’s best receivers and working with five different quarterbacks across his first two seasons, Jordan Addison has found a way to dominate for the Minnesota Vikings.”
“Addison started living up to his first-round billing immediately after entering the league, posting a sensational rookie stat line of 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. The wideout helped make up for the extended absence of Justin Jefferson — who missed seven games in 2023 — and didn’t miss a beat when star quarterback Kirk Cousins was also lost for the year, finding success with a revolving door of signal-callers that included Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall.”
Addison will be crucial for new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2025 and beyond as opposing defenses continue to laser focus on Jefferson.
Kay continued, “While Addison didn’t build on those strong Year 1 metrics, he still slashed a highly respectable 63/875/9 in 2024 despite missing two games with injury and contending with a fully healthy Jefferson for targets. There’s little Addison can’t do, although his production is certainly tempered by the presence of elite skill position teammates.”
“Whether he’s burning corners deep in single coverage or slipping into the defense’s soft spot for easy touchdowns, the talented wideout has managed to produce at an extremely efficient rate while still allowing Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson to get their star-caliber numbers. Now set to work with yet another new starter in second-year passer J.J. McCarthy, Addison projects to continue setting the standard for No. 2 WRs in 2025.”
Generally speaking, Vikings fans will agree with Kay’s assessment.
Why Jordan Addison Is Among the League’s Most Underrated WRs
Addison’s touchdown pace is quite remarkable, and it’s right there with the NFL’s elite. The man is also 23 years old, so the sky is the limit.
Jordan Addison’s Production through 2 Seasons
Addison has recorded 133 receptions for 1,786 yards and 20 touchdowns since turning pro in 2023. He’s the perfect complement to Jefferson, who often tabulates the receiving yards like a fiend, and some clubs find success in keeping him from the endzone.
On Sundays, Addison is the “other” guy, an electric playmaker who has a knack for finding paydirt — probably because Jefferson has commanded so much attention from defensive coordinators. Jefferson notches the receiving yards at a pace that Addison can’t mimic. Addison notches the touchdowns at a pace that Jefferson hasn’t mimicked.
A Change of Pace for Addison in the Summer News Cycle
Addison awaits a trial for his alleged Los Angeles DUI one year ago, which will evidently take place next month if not settled beforehand.
Depressingly, he could miss the regular season’s first three games if the NFL sees fit, dampening articles like this one that uplift his underrated status. Thankfully, based on the man’s admissions, he claims to have learned from back-to-back July incidents in 2023 and 2024.
Other Underrated Vikings?
Addison may not be alone in the current Vikings lore with the underrated label. The franchise has a few players who can fit the definition, and the list might include these men from the active depth chart:
- Mekhi Blackmon (CB)
- Josh Metellus (S)
- Josh Oliver (TE)
- Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
Jauan Jennings as Most Underrated Wideout
Jennings of the San Francisco 49ers kept Addison from the top spot.
Kay defended the selection, “Jauan Jennings faced long odds of having a breakout season in 2024. Jennings capitalized on his team-high 113 targets, reeling in 77 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns—second to only Kittle and well ahead of third-place Samuel in each of those categories.”
“It marked a massive improvement over the 78-catch, 963-yard, seven-touchdown stat line that Jennings had put up in his first three seasons combined.”
Jennings might maintain a healthy workload again in 2025, as Brandon Aiyuk’s return timetable remains unclear.
Kay added, “While health was kind to Jennings during a campaign in which Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL and first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall got off to a slow start due to an offseason gunshot wound, he deserves merit for seizing his opportunity and proving to be more than capable of serving as a No. 1 receiver despite his seventh-round draft status.”
“With Samuel now gone and Aiyuk still rehabbing his injured knee, the door remains wide open for Jennings to build upon his breakout season. The rapport the wideout established with quarterback Brock Purdy should only grow as the battery gets a full training camp together to prepare for a bounce-back 2025 campaign.”
Addison will turn 24 in January.
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