Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is going to serve a three-game suspension for his Driving Under the Influence arrest in July of 2024. He made it clear after practice on Wednesday that he won't appeal the suspension.
This is the second moving violation that Addison has dealt with in his Vikings career, as he was caught driving 140 mph in July of 2023. It's not great for any franchise to have its first-round pick put himself in a poor position multiple times in a similar manner.
Kevin O'Connell has confidence in Jordan Addison
Since he's had two consecutive offseasons with a similar instance, it's made things a little contentious among the fanbase as to whether or not Addison has a future past this season with the Vikings. Head coach Kevin O'Connell was asked about how to move forward with Addison and things seem to be moving in the right direction.
"I think the important thing to remember is this has been a pretty lengthy process, and I respect the fact that the NFL goes through the process that they do. We're talking about something that a lot of those conversations, if we're only talking about the path moving forward and Jordan Addison and how he's growing and improving and on and off the field every single day. If we're only talking about those things after the discipline comes, I'm probably not doing my job.
"Jordan's well aware of the standard that he's been living up to. He's done a phenomenal job not only this camp, but before that, continuing to understand. He's taken full accountability with that suspension becoming official. Jordan's daily, weekly and continued presence in our organization is a very positive one, and he knows that that's my expectation, and our relationship is something we talk about a lot, how much I view him as an ascending player with great leadership traits to help set the standard for players coming behind him."
One of the best traits that O'Connell has as a head coach is the ability to connect with his players. It isn't just about what happens on the football field, he builds up personal relationships with his players. That manifested in a big way this offseason when he talked to Harrison Smith on multiple occasions, but didn't talk to him about football until Smith brought it up.
If the Vikings don't re-sign Addison, it's probably won't be due to his off-the-field issues, at least that's the impression O'Connell gave in his comments. However, there is still five months until Addison is eligible for an extension, and a lot can change in that time and beyond.
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