Week 6 Is a Huge Opportunity for a Rookie Viking
Josh Frey
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When the Minnesota Vikings drafted Jordan Addison with the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the hope was that he would become another star receiver in Minnesota.
Through the first five weeks of the season, Addison has been a strong WR2, catching 19 passes for 249 yards and 3 TDs, but his path towards stardom truly gets started in Week 6 when the Vikings take on the Chicago Bears.
Minnesota is heading into this game without a key portion of their offense as WR Justin Jefferson is on injured reserve for at least the next four games. As a result, the expectation is that many of the targets that formerly went to Jefferson will now go to the rookie Addison.
Week 6 Is a Huge Opportunity for a Rookie Viking
Luckily for the Vikings, Addison is used to being the main option in an offense. Going back to his collegiate years, the wide receiver’s freshman season of 2020 saw him appear in 10 of 11 games for Pittsburgh, and he immediately made his presence known. He recorded 60 receptions for 666 yards and 4 touchdowns. In his first ever collegiate game, he caught 7 passes against Austin Peay.
2020 may have been impressive for Addison, but 2021 was absolutely absurd. The receiver showed up to campus and played 14 games, recording 100 receptions for 1593 yards and 17 TDs. He caught at least 6 passes in 11 of the 14 games, and his touchdown total landed him atop all of the FBS.
Following 2021, big changes happened for Addison. Kenny Pickett declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, so the receiver opted to transfer out of the program. His choice ended up being joining USC, who had recently landed new head coach Lincoln Riley as well as Wisconsin transfer QB Caleb Williams.
A further change for Addison in 2022 was the fact that he began being utilized much more as an outside wide receiver rather than in his usual spot in the slot. Even still, he remained productive for the Trojans, catching 59 passes for 875 yards and 8 TDs.
Now, the receiver has to play a big role in the Vikings offense. Jefferson had been on a path towards the first 2000-yard receiving season before getting hurt, catching 36 passes for 571 yards and 3 TDs.
It certainly won’t be easy for Addison to wholly replace this type of production, but his history as a productive pass-catcher certainly bodes well for his chances moving forward.
This is especially so considering the Bears have allowed the second-most passing yards per game in the NFL, giving up 286 yards per contest. They’ve also had 12 passing TDs scored against them through the first five weeks of the season.
A win on Sunday certainly won’t completely turn the tides for the Vikings, considering they have a Week 7 game against the San Francisco 49ers looming, but it will give Minnesota a slight glimmer of hope at potentially revitalizing their playoff chances. Addison will play a huge role in changing the outlook of this season for Minnesota.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.