The Vikings Made a Jordan Addison Decision
Not many draft picks of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era were actual hits, but Jordan Addison should be considered one of them. The speedy wideout from USC and Pittsburgh has been an excellent player for the Minnesota Vikings, but his off-field issues have raised some questions about his future.
On Monday, we learned that the Vikings continue to plan with his presence moving forward.
On Vikings.com, the team announced, “The Vikings intend to exercise the team’s fifth-year option on receiver Jordan Addison, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski told media members Monday at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting.”
Brzezinski said, “He’s a really important player for us, an impact player. We’re definitely exercising the option. For sure. The deadline for that is after the draft.”
The interim GM has some more time to pick up the option. Last year, the Vikings didn’t have any chance to consider the fifth-year option, as Lewis Cine had been released in the previous preseason. Christian Darrisaw had his option picked up in 2024 and signed a long-term extension shortly after. The option will pay the receiver $18 million fully guaranteed in 2027.
Addison now has three seasons on his NFL resume; rookie contracts run through the fourth season. With the fifth-year option picked up, Addison is under contract for two more campaigns. He’s already eligible for a contract extension, his classmate Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed his last week.
With the option on their side, the Vikings have another year to make any long-term decisions. They can comfortably wait until next offseason and see if he adds more to his off-field file.
Addison has already missed three games due to a suspension handed to him for his second car-related incident. A January trespassing charge has been dismissed, but his third time landing in the news for off-field issues has left a bad taste in the mouths of many Vikings fans.
When he’s not suspended, Addison has been a sweet sidekick for Justin Jefferson, though. Playing in 46 games, Addison has caught 175 passes for 2,396 yards and 22 touchdowns and another 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps the most impressive aspect is that he has achieved those statistics with eight different passers. Kyler Murray would be number 9.
Jefferson suffered a nagging hamstring injury in Addison’s rookie season and the first-year player showed his potential when he stepped into the WR1 role for nearly half the season.
On a per-game basis, he was even better in 2024, but he missed a couple of games with an ankle injury, making his numbers look worse. Last year was his least productive year, but the quarterback play certainly played a role.
Addison is expected to land a contract extension at some point. Or, at least, a report from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert suggested it.
He wrote last week, “Brzezinski said last month that he envisioned the Vikings as a franchise that looks to ‘draft and develop and to retain our core, and supplement in free agency.’ That served as a reminder that teams don’t just use cap space on free agency, but also — and often more importantly — on signing their existing players to contract extensions. Right tackle Brian O’Neill and receiver Jordan Addison are among the upcoming deals the Vikings have budgeted for.”
The fact that they are budgeting for the move doesn’t guarantee it will happen, but it’s enough evidence to think it’s part of the team’s plan.
Addison is still only 24 years old and, barring a surprise trade, he’ll remain a pass-catcher for the Vikings moving forward.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.