The Vikings Are Preparing to Lose a Key Weapon
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has not yet received word on his NFL fate in 2025.
The Vikings are reportedly bracing for the punishment of a playmaker, a key offensive weapon, stemming from an infraction last summer. Here’s what to know.
He pleaded guilty to a “wet and reckless” charge regarding his 2024 California driving infraction, which many onlookers identified as a DUI.
Now, he awaits comeuppance from the NFL, and all signs point to a three-game suspension for the 23-year-old. According to ESPN, the Vikings, as a franchise, are bracing for precisely that.
Jordan Addison’s Incoming Suspension Looms
It could be three games on the shelf for the Vikings’ playmaker.
ESPN Shines Light on Jordan Addison, Vikings’ Preparation
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote an extensive recap of Vikings training camp so far on Monday, calling out Addison and Minnesota’s contingency plan along the way.
Fowler wrote, “A looming issue at Vikings camp is Jordan Addison’s availability to start the season. My sense after asking around is the Vikings are bracing for roughly a three-game suspension for Addison, who in July pleaded no contest to a lesser charge to resolve a 2024 DUI citation. The team’s projection is based in part on the league’s recent precedent for three-game suspensions for DUI-related offenses.”
“While Addison has said he’s prepared for whatever the NFL decides, for now he’s preparing for a Year 3 jump with goals of becoming a ‘better all-around receiver.’ The Vikings’ WR1 spot is unquestioned: That belongs to Justin Jefferson. But after nearly 1,800 yards and 19 touchdowns through two seasons, Addison believes he has the capacity to be one in ability if not by title.”
Fans knew the moment Addison was arrested that the ordeal would likely result in a suspension. So, when that’s announced — it could be any minute or day — it will feel more like fruition, not a surprise from the top rope.
A Three-Game World without Addison
In all likelihood, commissioner Roger Goodell will pop Addison for three games, and that’ll be that.
He’d return in Dublin, Ireland, against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, welcomed by, well, everybody, with open arms. In the meantime, Minnesota would trust Justin Jefferson will most of the heavy-lifting — that’s what he does — while empowering Jalen Nailor as the temporary WR2.
The team could also scour the free-agent wire for a player like Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Nelson Agholor, Gabe Davis, or Odell Beckham, though those men would expect to fulfill a role longer than three games.
HockensonMania
And don’t forget tight end T.J. Hockenson. The team’s TE1 is back in the mix this summer after a relatively quiet 2024 when he healed from a torn ACL.
By target load, this year with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Hockenson almost always takes on WR3 duties. That may be elevated to high heavens if McCarthy trusts Hockenson early on. Last year, at the beginning of the season, former purple passer Sam Darnold didn’t have the Hockenson luxury. Darnold had Addison but not Hockenson; McCarthy is trending to have Hockenson but not Addison.
Where’s Tai Felton?
Moreover, Minnesota’s 3rd-Round draft pick from four months ago has produced a rather quiet training camp. It’s too early to declare that Felton has “struggled” during his first two weeks on the job, but one thing is certain: Felton emphatically has not set the world on fire in Eagan.
If he excels in the preseason, building confidence in himself and trust from Minnesota’s coaches, he could be on tap for aerial targets with Addison presumably suspended.
It would be the perfect time for Felton’s on-the-job training. Otherwise, he could be a footnote as a rookie, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Jalen Nailor in his way.
More on the Vikings from ESPN
Fowler also noted on the Vikings’ wide receivers, aside from Addison: “Jefferson’s hamstring injury is not a major concern. In fact, my sense is that some with the Vikings are sort of relieved he can rest up during a long camp. He could get some practice work this week, but expect Minnesota to slowly ease him back.”
“Jalen Nailor is getting a lot of love at camp. When I asked O’Connell about players picking up the slack in Jefferson’s absence, he was quick to mention Nailor.”
Contributors like Rondale Moore or Silas Bolden could also make the 53-man roster and see action on Sundays.
And on the team’s running backs: “Key fantasy note: I entered camp with the expectation that Jordan Mason would be a major player in the offense alongside Aaron Jones in the backfield, and my visit Friday did nothing to dispel that. In fact, I believe a genuine co-RB1 deal, in something of a 50-50 distribution, is not totally off the table, depending how things unfold over the next month. Mason’s prominent reps Friday were noticeable, and he offers youthful explosion to Jones’ savvy all-around game.”
“Fun note: Vikings running backs coach Curtis Modkins oversaw Denver’s tailbacks in 2021 … when Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams each had exactly 203 carries.”
The NFL should unveil Addison’s fate before too long.
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