Jordan Addison Plea Deal Should Produce Answers Soon
We all knew it was coming. Jordan Addison was scheduled to have his day in court after last year’s driving while intoxicated traffic stop. He was found blocking traffic with his vehicle stopped in the middle of the road while sleeping in the front seat.
Jordan Addison’s plea deal is official, and the NFL’s next move looms. Here’s what it means for his suspension, the Vikings, and his return timeline.
None of that is good. After a traffic stop the year before for speeding at 104mph, fans were right to worry that he might have some problems that could lead to worse outcomes.
Kevin Seifert from ESPN reported on the decision by the prosecution and Addison’s legal team to accept a plea deal of a “wet reckless” charge. It basically means that he pleads guilty to a charge of reckless driving with the involvement of alcohol.
Jordan Addison’s Legal Drama Comes to a Head
He will have to complete some community service and take additional classes to fully understand what he did and make amends for his poor judgment. He’s lucky. Not in what some might see as a reduced punishment, but that he did not hurt or kill someone with his actions. Many fans are disappointed by that last possibility because not 6 days earlier, his teammate Khyree Jackson and a few friends were killed by a drunk driver. It was a sad story to hear for a player that some touted as being better than his college experience may have shown us.
With Addison receiving his punishment in court, the next domino to fall will be the NFL’s decision on a possible suspension. Does he deserve one? Yes. Some will argue that it’s not necessary. I don’t know where that belief originates, except perhaps from selfishness or a lack of understanding of the consequences of one’s actions.
The standard punishment for this type of infraction is three games, which the NFL and the players’ union have agreed upon, and I concur with that as well. When bad choices are made, people need to be held accountable for their actions. The good thing is that from the quotes he has given when asked about the incident, Addison sounds like the message has resonated with him.
He said he was in a “dark place” that may have stemmed from losing Jackson and said, “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.”
That sounds like a guy who has learned his lesson, hopefully. Jackson’s death isn’t an excuse, and he didn’t use it as one directly.
Should Addison miss the first three games of the season, he will, of course, be missed by the team. The biggest will be the season opener on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears. Going into Soldier Field without the second-best receiver on the team and a rookie quarterback won’t make things easy.
The next two games are at home against the Falcons and the Bengals. Addison’s unavailability will hurt, but not as much. There is really no silver lining to a story like this. The effects on the games will be apparent, as defenses will roll coverage towards Justin Jefferson more frequently with double teams and zone brackets. This might cause TJ Hockenson to be more open underneath, Jalen Nailor to receive more looks, and backups like Rondale Moore and Tai Felton to get more opportunities to improve their status with the team.
In essence, we can get a good look at some players who have significant question marks hanging over them. Kevin O’Connell will need to make adjustments to the offense to free up his more effective offensive weapons, as Addison’s absence will impact the game throughout. When he returns, it will be week 4 with the Vikings traveling to Ireland and then London. If he’s back, it will be a story on a larger scale with extra eyes on those international games.
While as fans we hope the team plays well and wins all those games, let’s also hope, as humans, that a young man learns his lesson. That Addison doesn’t make this type of mistake again, and we all can concentrate on the game.
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