Kevin O’Connell Confirms the Hype for “Spectacular” Player
Kevin O’Connell believes that the media has done a good job (did Mike Zimmer ever share that opinion?). No shortage of attention has been directed toward Jordan Addison, something that has caught the coach’s eye.
O’Connell thinks that the writing has accurately reflected just how good Addison has been, something he acknowledged in his Saturday press conference following the Patriots preseason contest. “But I will say” O’Connell said at the podium, “I don’t know — and I know you guys are doing a great job of highlighting it — but the camp Jordan Addison has had has been spectacular.”
Kevin O’Connell and The Jordan Addison Hype
First, the bad news.
Addison is going to be suspended for the opening weeks of the season. More specifically, there’s going to be an absence for the Week 1 game at Chicago, the Week 2 game versus Atlanta, and the Week 3 game versus Cincinnati. Each game offers up its own intrigue, but one wonders about that Bengals battle. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase are locked in a (largely meaningless) disagreement about who is the NFL’s best receiver.
Step back some and there’s even a debate about the league’s best receiver tandem. Seeing Jefferson and Addison shred the Bengals would have made a statement, but that’s not going to happen due to Addison’s suspension.
Across a pair of seasons, Jordan Addison has been very good. At times, elite. But he hasn’t been there consistently even if the potential is present.
His rookie season involved earning 108 targets, which turned into 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Very quickly, Addison turned into a touchdown assassin, proving capable of creating room for himself despite being smaller than most of his peers. Do remember that the production arrived within the QB turmoil of the 2023 season. Presumably, a fully healthy Kirk Cousins would have involved even more robust numbers.
Jordan Addison’s sophomore season was very promising, as well. He dropped down to 99 targets — largely due to missing two full games and part of one more — while picking up 63 catches for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns. Again, a great scorer. Another positive is that he bumped up his yards-per-catch average, going from 13.0 in 2023 to 13.9 in 2024.
Later on in his press conference, O’Connell unpacks the performance from Addison a little more. Going against New England’s defense in joint practices — specifically, veteran corner Carlton Davis — reaffirmed that Addison has been shining. O’Connell’s concluding thought, “JA is taking the next step on the grass, for sure, and it’s been great to see.”
J.J. McCarthy has upside aplenty. Not too much by way of firm certainty, but loads of potential. What has been evident at TCO Performance Center is that Mr. McCarthy really loves throwing the ball to Mr. Addison. In theory, McCarthy (who is 22) and Addison (who is 23) can grow together for years to come.
Jordan Addison is moving into his third NFL season. He’s carrying a $3,478,629 cap charge, a tiny amount for someone with so much ability. On the field, Addison is one of the NFL’s most dangerous route runners and scorers. He is, in short, a fantastic receiver.
Look for #3 in Week 4 when the Vikings take on the Steelers in Dublin, Ireland. Jordan Addison’s return will likely function as a spark for the team in its entirety.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
