The Minnesota Vikings are looking to get back into the win column in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears, and this time they have Jordan Addison.
Addison was suspended for the first three games of the season, and he missed the Vikings’ comeback win over the Bears in the regular-season opener on “Monday Night Football” in Chicago.
One Bears player made it abundantly clear that they know Addison is a difference-maker.
Bears DB on High-Alert About Vikings WR Jordan Addison
Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright is in his first season with Chicago, but he spent the 2024 campaign as Addison’s teammate on the Vikings. Wright spoke candidly about the kind of player that Addison is, despite sometimes being overshadowed by Justin Jefferson’s presence.
“I’m definitely not overlooking him,” Wright told Clocker Sports on November 12. “I got to practice against him, and he’s a hell of a route runner. The 40-yard time that he has listed might not be accurate. So, I think he’s a pretty well-rounded receiver. Can get in and out of his breaks, can make you miss from press, and catch practically every ball. So, I’m definitely not overlooking him. He’s a great 1-2 punch, with him and Jus.”
The past few weeks have been quieter for Addison, who has 26 receptions for 392 yards and 2 touchdowns in six games.
He has a 24-292-2 line in four games against the Bears, with the Vikings 3-1 in those contests.
Like many of his Vikings teammates, he has had to overcome the team’s injuries and inconsistency, including at quarterback. Unlike most of his teammates, Addison will become extension-eligible this coming offseason, putting additional significance on his performance.
The Vikings’ focus is on Wright’s Bears, though, while the former Minnesota DB knows they have their hands full as a defense.
Former Vikings DB ‘Speedy’ WR
GettyJalen Nailor #1 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Vikings acquired Wright in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys, and he got a first-hand account of just how talented the WR room is in Minnesota. Wright noted that Vikings WR3 Jalen Nailor, aka “Speedy,” is just that.
“He’s a guy that can take the top off the coverage,” Wright said. “I think he’s another good receiver. Can run pretty good routes.”
Nailor had one catch for 28 yards in Week 1 but also drew a pass interference, setting up a TD.
The fourth-year former sixth-round selection has 19 receptions for 302 yards and 2 TDs this season for the Vikings. With the attention paid to Addison and Jefferson – and Aaron Jones at running back when healthy and T.J. Hockenson at tight end – Nailor can also go overlooked.
The Vikings are facing a vulnerable but opportunistic Bears defense, which means Nailor could once again have opportunities of his own to make plays.
Justin Jefferson the ‘Ultimate Competitor’
GettyJustin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals.
There has been much ado about Jefferson’s apparent frustrations with the Vikings’ inconsistency and, really, losing. Since entering the league as the No. 22 overall pick in 2020, Jefferson has enjoyed two winning seasons. They won 14 games last season and 13 in 2022.
Wright’s previous comments loom large amid that reality.
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Wright told the outlet in Week 1. “He practices hard, and I think that’s why you see the results you do see on Sundays. That’s really it. He’s a great player.”
The Vikings have lost three of their last four games. Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke candidly about feeling like his team is different than the version the Vikings faced in Week 1 in Chicago, which is also true for Minnesota.
Both teams will look to prove they are better off now than they were then on Sunday.
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