It's not news that the 2026 campaign is a huge one for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison. Apart from putting the worst statistical season of his career in the rearview mirror, he needs to put a notable list of off-field concerns behind him in the effort to prove he's worthy of a lucrative long-term contract.
The financial market is rising at every position, and wide receiver is no different. The latest development there came on Tuesday, when the Baltimore Ravens reportedly agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension wth Zay Flowers.
Flowers was taken one pick before Addison in the 2023 draft, and he now has the same annual money average as Justin Jefferson. So there are two-fold implications for the Vikings, as Jefferson could angle for a raise and there's a new relative baseline for Addison's market value if he can get back on track this season.
If the Vikings are leaning toward extending Addison, and the prevailing sentiment says they are, there's a case for them to act quickly before the financial bar shifts again.
The No. 1 cautionary tale about paying two wide receivers very handsomely is the Cincinnati Bengals. They have not been able to invest well enough in other areas of the team, with the results of adding to the defense in a notable way this offseason to be determined. Since a Super Bowl appearance to close the 2021 season, the lackluster results speak for themselves.
Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison hits the boring notes in wake of another big NFL contract
In a case of fortuitous timing after the Flowers contract news hit earlier in the day, Addison spoke to the media at training camp on Tuesday.
The news-driven question of the day was bound to come Addison's way at the podium. ESPN's Kevin Seifert was the one to bring it, asking Addison if, in the wake of the Flowers deal and a couple others in his draft class (Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Jayden Reed) getting paid this offseason, he's interested in a contract extension.
Addison's response was as uninteresting as it was expected.
"Right now I’m being where my feet are. I'm just putting the work in right now, going through camp, making sure I’m becoming a better receiver. I feel like everything will take care of itself; work itself out.”
Addison knows that if he takes care of the business he can control on the field, starting right now in training camp, the contract extension business will naturally work itself out.
While it would've been nice for him to say something other than the kind of cliches we hear from almost every player when they're asked about the prospect of a new contract, his focus is where it should be as he looks to put last year all the way behind him.
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