Jordan Addison Fires Back at Trade Noise
Through about two months of the 2026 offseason, three high-profile Minnesota Vikings players have twisted in the fringes of the trade rumor mill: J.J. McCarthy, Jordan Addison, and recently, Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings must decide on Addison’s fifth-year option by May 1st, and some consider that a deadline to trade him. The only problem? Addison doesn’t sound too thrilled about a trade, especially to the New England Patriots.
Addison made his stance known while Minnesota weighs the bigger picture.
Need proof? We have it. Faced with the faux proposal of a trade to the Patriots, Addison called that team “ass.”
Minnesota Must Decide Whether Talent Outweighs the Headaches
New England doesn’t move the needle for Addison.
Addison to Patriots Fans: “Yall Ass”
A Patriots fan on Instagram posted Monday, trying to speak an Addison trade into existence: “We like our WRs with minor legal issues. Signed all New England Patriots fans.”
Addison found the comment and replied, “yall ass.”
A middle school-style exchange, indeed, Vikings fans used the brief conversation to gauge Addison’s enthusiasm about a trade. In short, there is none — or he just really doesn’t care for the Patriots, who reached the Super Bowl last month with a skimpy wide receiving corps.
Classic Addison
It’s worth noting that Addison’s reply is vintage Jordan Addison. He’s a little quirky, a little defiant, and a lot unshy on social media.
Why would Addison be traded in the first place? His list of transgressions is lengthy. In 2023, Addison got popped for driving 140 MPH in a 55 MPH zone in the Twin Cities. He received relatively little criticism at the time because he claimed a dog emergency necessitated the excessive speed, the incident appeared isolated, and the offense was only a misdemeanor.
A year later, Addison was found asleep and intoxicated in his car on a Los Angeles freeway. This incident cast a shadow over the Vikings until he settled the case with probation, after which the NFL suspended him for three games. Many considered it his second strike.
During the 2025 regular season, Addison missed a team walkthrough in London, leading head coach Kevin O’Connell to bench him for a quarter in the following game.
Earlier this year, Addison was removed from a Florida casino and briefly arrested for trespassing in January. However, the case quickly unraveled, and prosecutors dropped the charge after his lawyers intervened.
Would-Be Trade Compensation
Although Vikings fans see Addison’s potential as a primary receiver, based on his exciting play and upside, he has yet to exceed 920 receiving yards in a season. The statistical ceiling, combined with any recent concerns, will likely moderate offers from NFL general managers, who typically weigh these factors heavily when assessing trade value.
Therefore, a reasonable starting point for trade discussions would likely be a 2nd-Round pick, possibly with additional selections to even out the compensation. Minnesota would likely — hopefully — reject offers below this level.
The Chicago Bears traded D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills last week in a deal centered around a 2nd-Rounder. Addison should command the same, if not more — if the Vikings trade him at all.
The Viking Age‘s Brad Berreman noted on an Addison trade this week, “The Vikings could, theoretically, take advantage of a potential renewed trade market for Addison and wash their hands of those contractual decisions before they come. Teams who are unable to sign a free agent wide receiver they want can fill their void at the position without having to make a multi-year commitment, or even necessarily having to commit to Addison beyond next season.”
“Of course, the idea of trading Addison, if calls about him come with or without free agency dominoes falling, depends entirely on how the Vikings view him. Maybe they’re willing to pick up that fifth-year option, with openness to a contract extension if an upgrade at quarterback fosters a rebound in his production next season.”
Who to Replace Him if Needed?
Trading Addison for the aforementioned 2nd-Round pick wouldn’t adequately address the resulting void in Minnesota’s receiver depth. A draft pick alone may not immediately fill the need for a WR2, a role that’s not easily filled.
While interim general manager Rob Brzezinski could theoretically promote last year’s rookie Tai Felton, Felton did next to nothing in the Vikings’ offense in 2025.
Minnesota could also explore the current free-agent market, with potential options including:
- Romeo Doubs
- Tyreek Hill (if healthy)
- Jauan Jennings
- Christian Kirk
- Darnell Mooney
- Deebo Samuel
The draft presents another avenue to replace Addison. With the No. 18 pick, Minnesota could consider prospects like:
- Denzel Boston (Washington)
- Kevin Concepcion (Texas A&M)
- Omar Cooper Jr. (Indiana)
- Jordan Tyson (Arizona State)
- Makai Lemon (USC)
Left up to Addison, though, all this trade fodder seems moot. He’s calling his would-be next team “ass.”
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