The Minnesota Vikings played their second straight international game this week, this time against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It was Jordan Addison's second game back after serving a three-game suspension to start the year, but, strangely enough, he wasn't on the field for the first quarter of the game.
So, what was the deal there? Head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke about the situation following Minnesota's four-point win over Cleveland. O'Connell said that Addison was benched due to missing a walkthrough during the week.
"He missed a walkthrough this week. Those types of things aren't in alignment with our standards. Wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that."
So there you go. Addison was serving a punishment, and it was good to see O'Connell hold him accountable for missing the walkthrough.
It was also good to see Addison enter the game and make a massive impact, finishing with five catches for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the final minute of action.
Minnesota Vikings reveal why Jordan Addison was benched in first quarter against Cleveland Browns
Addison also spoke about the punishment following the game and said he wasn't sure how long he was going to be held out of the game. Addison also shared that he knew he might not get to play at all on Sunday, but vowed to be ready when his number was finally called.
Addison was crucial for the Vikings' offense on that final game-winning drive, getting targeted three straight times, including the 12-yard touchdown to put Minnesota up by four points with 25 ticks left on the clock.
He might have missed a chunk of the game, but when called upon, Addison stepped up and did what he needed to do for this team.
At the same time, he has to be more responsible and can't be missing key things like walkthroughs. It's good to see O'Connell punish players, no matter who they are, if they can't be punctual and follow the rules.
Hopefully, Addison learns from this and continues to be a better player for the team that spent a first-round pick on him in 2023.