Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is entering his third season in the NFL, but the former USC Trojans star wideout might not be available in the early goings of the 2025 campaign, with a possible suspension from the league.
A first-round pick (23rd overall) by Minnesota in the 2023 NFL draft, Addison grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons in the summer of 2024, when he was found by the California Highway Patrol asleep behind the wheel in Los Angeles. He was later charged with one count of driving under the influence, putting a black mark on his resume.
Addison pleaded not guilty on two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and for driving with a blood alcohol level of at least .08% blood alcohol content.
“I was feeling down, and [teammates] really uplifted me to come out here and just perform at a high level still,” Addison said following his arrest (h/t Kevin Seifert of ESPN). “So through everything that's going on, I'm going to put it behind me and I'm still going to perform at a high level, come out here give the fans what they pay for.”
In July, Addison agreed to a lesser charge in his DUI case by pleading no contest to the case, but he will be on 12-month probation. He was also asked to shell out $390 fine and to undergo two online courses.
As for the possible NFL punishment, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN feels that the Vikings are expecting “roughly a three-game suspension.”
“The team's projection is based in part on the league's recent precedent for three-game suspensions for DUI-related offenses.”
The Vikings are scheduled to open their 2025 NFL regular season with a game againt the Chicago Bears on the road at Soldier Field in Windy City on Sep. 8. Minnesota will then host the Atlanta Falcons for a Week 2 home opener at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis before facing off against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 in the same location.
Through two seasons in the pros, Addison, who's viewed as the Vikings' No. 2 wide receiver behind undisputed top option Justin Jefferson, has collected 1,786 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns on 133 receptions and 207 targets across 32 games (29 starts).
