Jordan Addison hasn’t necessarily lived up to his first-round billing, but that won’t stop the Vikings from committing to a fifth year for the wideout. Vikings Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski told reporters today that the team plans to pick up Addison’s fifth-year option.
“He’s a really important player for us, an impact player,” Brzezinski said (via the team’s website). “We’re definitely exercising the option. For sure. The deadline for that is after the draft.”
After being selected by Minnesota with the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Addison immediately carved out a significant role on offense. He finished his rookie campaign with 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. That performance earned him a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Those marks still represent career-highs for Addison. He had 63 catches for 875 yards and nine scores as a sophomore (plus 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground), and he followed that up with 42 catches for 610 yards and three touchdowns in 2025 (plus 81 rushing yards and a score).
There are a handful of reasons why Addison has struggled to truly break out through his first three NFL seasons. For starters, he’s played second fiddle to Justin Jefferson, who has commanded close to 300 targets over the past two years. Secondly, Addison has had to deal with some inconsistent QB play; he got eight games from Kirk Cousins as a rookie and a full season from Sam Darnold in 2024, but has otherwise dealt with the likes of J.J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, and others.
Addison has also had his fair share of legal issues, including a 2024 arrest near LAX on suspicion of DUI. Just two months ago, the receiver was arrested in Florida on a misdemeanor trespassing charge. He’s avoided suspension for those off-the-field issues, although he was handed a three-game ban to start the 2025 campaign after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Still, the Vikings are comfortable enough with Addison to commit $18MM to him in 2027. That number doesn’t break the bank, and it does hedge against a potential breakout. But Addison will still have to show more if he wants to secure a long-term pact before the 2028 offseason.
Let’s have a drink on it! Maybe not.
If Addison can keep his nose clean, he will get paid A LOT of money by some team in 2027.
Everybody knows he’s basically a #1 on the right team.