A dismal draft record was a big part of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's undoing as Minnesota Vikings' general manager, but using the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft on wide receiver Jordan Addison can be marked as a win.
Over his first two seasons, Addison had 19 receiving touchdowns (tied for fourth-most in the league). He was the ideal WR2 to Justin Jefferson.
Year 3 for Addison was automatically going to be set off-course as his DUI incident from July of 2024 neared a legal resolution. As expected, he was suspended for the first three games of this season. Then came a first-quarter benching against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, and Addison's production was impacted greatly by J.J. McCarthy's struggles.
As the Vikings approach a decision on Addison's fifth-year option, and a decision about whether to give him a contract extension beyond that, career lows across the board were ill-timed to say the least. Ideally, after a couple of offseasons with off-field issues, he could at least have an offseason without any extra stuff.
Well, the season was barely over before Addison was arrested in Florida for trespassing in mid-January. The charges were fairly quickly dropped, but the situation is still not a great look for him as the Vikings weigh some heady financial decisions attached to him.
Speculation about Addison's future is easy, and the Vikings picking up his fifth-year option for 2027 will only answer part of the question. There's a case to consider moving on via a trade this offseason, with potential internal options to replace him as the WR2.
Based on talent, Addison would have several trade suitors. Based on his run of off-field stuff (with varying degrees of severity) and a down season on the field, that list of suitors may thin, and those who remain may attempt to buy-low in a trade this offseason.
The Minnesota Vikings are offered a new potential trade suitor for Jordan Addison
In terms of teams that may be interested in trading for Addison, the San Francisco 49ers have already surfaced prominently. There are others out there who could use an injection of talent at wide receiver.
In naming three potential offseason trade targets for all 32 teams, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report had Addison on that list for the 49ers. He also had Addison on said list for the Tennessee Titans, while also putting him on that list of potential targets for a third team.
The Kansas City Chiefs.
"Minnesota could be looking to move on from Addison after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. The charges were later dropped, but he's had mutliple arrests since being draft (ed). He could get a fresh start in Kansas City. He would only account for a $2.6 million cap hit this season."
Since trading away Tyreek Hill a few years ago, the Chiefs have struggled to get consistent production from their wide receivers despite some notable draft investments. Tight end Travis Kelce is no longer in a stage of his career where he can cover up that deficit, and the offense has shown cracks at times despite Patrick Mahomes' best efforts.
The Vikings have a lot of things to consider when it comes to trading Addison this offseason. Where does he currently sit on the talent/worth the trouble spectrum after another off-field incident? Coming off his worst season, where is his trade value? Would picking up his fifth-year option help or hurt that trade value?
The more teams that may be interested in trading for Addison, the better it'll be for the Vikings if they want to move him. The Chiefs could be more motivated than most other suitors to best every other offer, as they try to get back to the top of the AFC.
Finding a lower-salary option at wide receiver, who they can see about before committing to long-term, would seem to be in the Chiefs' wheelhouse. That's also a space in the trade market Addison occupies fairly uniquely, with some proven production on his resume to bolster the fit.