Vikings Urged to Make a Risky Move
The Minnesota Vikings have made all kinds of moves this offseason, primarily aiming for cheap ways to improve the roster, such as signing Kyler Murray or James Pierre. The draft also helped reshape the squad and add some youth to an aging group.
Finishing touches could be another signing or two to further bolster the team. Also doable would be contract extensions. The Vikings have some candidates for new in-house deals.
One of those is receiver Jordan Addison, who should get a new contract, according to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
He listed a final roster move for each of the 32 teams. About Addison, Knox wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings have exercised the fifth-year option on receiver Jordan Addison’s contract, and they’re already budgeting to extend the receiver, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. They don’t have to extend Addison this offseason, but they should.”
Indeed, Addison is signed through the 2027 season, having two more campaigns on his deal. The Vikings could simply postpone that decision to next year, or even the year after, with the franchise tag as another bullet in the chamber.
Knox explained, “Addison is clearly Minnesota’s No. 2 target behind Justin Jefferson, but the price of high-end complementary receivers continues to go up—Alec Pierce isn’t a true No. 1, and he still landed a deal worth $28.5 million annually this offseason. If the Vikings know they want to keep Addison long-term, they should sign him before his price point goes even higher.”
All player deals only go up in the NFL, but so does the salary cap, which is why that’s actually not a bad trade-off for franchises. When the budget rises, the rising contract figures don’t particularly matter.
Still, there’s a chance that Addison’s value increases in the next few months. We’ve all seen him ball out, but he also has had some annoying off-field incidents.
At this point, Addison has never posted a 1,000-yard season and has already drawn a three-game suspension to start the 2025 season. That’s why his deal could come in at around $20 million. In case he’s playing a full season and Minnesota’s passing attack rebounds with Kyler Murray tossing the rock and an improved J.J. McCarthy under center, an Addison breakout season isn’t far-fetched.
Suddenly, he might ask for $30 million.
On the flip side, there’s a chance another off-field issue could diminish his value, which is the obvious reason the Vikings should wait. Sure, there’s a chance Addison might increase his value with a strong season, but there’s also a chance the Vikings realize that they can’t trust him long-term. A new deal, especially one with significant salary guarantees, would be a worst-case scenario.
With two more years under team control, the organization is in no rush to hand him a new contract.
The receiver has already missed three games due to a suspension 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 partner for Justin Jefferson. 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. Murray could be number 9 this year.
Addison has the talent to be a franchise staple on the offense next to Justin Jefferson, but staying out of negative headlines is key if he wants to give his bank account a boost in the near future.
Minnesota’s WR2 turned 24 in January.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.