The Minnesota Vikings have a recent history of drafting elite wide receiver talent near the back end of the first round, with the most current example coming in the form of Jordan Addison.
Minnesota played the first three games of the year absent Addison, as he served a three-game suspension from the NFL that was connected to a DUI charge in Los Angeles last summer. Upon his return, Addison made an immediate impact, tallying four catches for 114 yards in a narrow loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin.
He then caught five passes for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds to play against the Cleveland Browns in London the following week, despite sitting out the first quarter as punishment for missing a team walkthrough.
Addison’s play over the last two games is merely an extension of the contributions he has made since joining the roster as a rookie. The wideout put up 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 TDs in his first NFL season, following that up with 63 grabs for 875 yards and nine scores in 2025.
While one could characterize some of Addison’s off-field behavior as at least mildly troubling, it is hard to look at the on-field production of the 23-year-old pass-catcher and suggest he’s the type of player Minnesota should consider trading. However, the topic has come up among some fans and media members, as Addison and the Vikings approach a significant point early in his career.
Jordan Addison Has Proven Best Draft Pick of Current Vikings Leadership Team
GettyWide receiver Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings.
In just his third year, Addison still has another season remaining on his rookie contract. And as a first-round pick, Minnesota will have the opportunity next spring to exercise a fifth-year team option on his deal to keep Addison through 2027.
Team insider Darren Wolfson of KSTP appeared on the SKOR North podcast on Thursday, October 9, and blasted the notion of Minnesota trading Addison, despite whatever pressure may be on the team to do so.
“Of what 23 draft picks? I believe it’s 23 over four years. It’s not even close who the best is talent-wise. I don’t even think that’s up for debate. That’s a fact. Jordan Addison is the ultimate hit so far through four draft classes for this front office,” Wolfson said. “So the idea is you want to keep a guy like that. I’m not shopping him next March.”
Wolfson added that it is unlikely Minnesota could get appropriate value for Addison on the trade market next offseason anyway.
“Oh by the way, if you do decide to shop him, what exactly are you getting right now for Jordan Addison? The compensation is not matching the talent. And so I’m not punting on him for a middle-round draft pick,” Wolfson continued. “I’m not there yet on right now, next March, you have to shop Jordan Addison.”
Vikings’ Group of Pass-Catchers Could Prove Incredibly Thin in 2026 if Team Trades Jordan Addison
GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Addison’s deal is worth a total of just $13.7 million with a base salary of $2.6 million in 2026 and a salary cap hit of less than $4.4 million next year, numbers his production wildly outpaces.
The price of his fifth-year team option is not yet available and will take into account playing time, production and any awards he’s garnered over his first three years in the league. The figure will no doubt be significant, but it will still probably be less than the annual average salary he would command if he hit free agency and Minnesota, or another team, had to ink him to a four-year contract, which would also include an amount of total guaranteed money well beyond what the Vikings will have to pay him in 2027 to keep him on the team.
Wolfson also pointed out the lack of depth in the wide receiver room behind Addison and Justin Jefferson as well as the uncertainty of tight end T.J. Hockenson’s future with the team beyond 2025 as reasons that Minnesota should ensure Addison stays put.
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