The Minnesota Vikings have a big call to make with Jordan Addison, and a new receiver deal just sharpened the picture.
Addison is already under contract through the 2027 season, but every extension signed around the league keeps nudging the price higher. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Michael Wilson agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract with a maximum value of $78 million, and that number gives Minnesota another clear benchmark as it weighs whether to extend Addison now or wait.
At first glance, Wilson may not seem like the obvious comp for Vikings fans. Addison was a first-round pick out of USC, while Wilson went in the third round to the Cardinals in 2023.
Addison also won’t turn 25 until January, and Wilson is 26. But the production line between the two is tighter than it looks.
Wilson opened his career by topping 500 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, then took off last year with 78 catches for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns. His final eight games were the stretch that pushed him into this payday, as he caught 56 passes for 775 yards and six touchdowns. Over their first three NFL seasons, the stat lines line up in a way that makes Wilson a useful reference point for Addison’s next contract.
Jordan Addison and Michael Wilson after 46 games:
- Receptions: Addison 175, Wilson 163
- Receiving yards: Addison 2,396, Wilson 2,119
- Receiving touchdowns: Addison 22, Wilson 14
- Contract: Addison TBD, Wilson three years, $75 million
Addison’s career has followed a different arc. He burst out with 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, then followed with 63 receptions for 875 yards and nine scores in 2024. That season could have been even better if he hadn’t missed two games because of injury.
Last year, though, the production slipped. Addison missed the first three games because of suspension and finished with 42 catches for 610 yards and three touchdowns. He also posted career highs with six drops and a 7.6 percent drop rate.
Still, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell continues to view him as a key piece of the offense opposite Justin Jefferson. Minnesota also bought itself more time by picking up Addison’s fifth-year option for 2027, which keeps the conversation alive while giving the receiver a chance to rebuild his value.
The smartest play for the Vikings might be to try to strike a deal now. But Addison could also help himself by putting the contract talk on hold and delivering a strong 2026 season.
That matters even more because his situation comes with off-field baggage. Addison was cited for speeding just before his rookie season, arrested for DWI in the summer of 2024 before the charge was reduced to a lesser wet reckless charge, and arrested again for trespassing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida, last January.
For now, though, the cleanest path forward is simple: play well. If Addison turns in a big season, he could push his way toward the bigger receiver contracts now sitting at the top of the market, including Zay Flowers’s four-year, $140 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, Chris Olave’s four-year, $124 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, and Alec Pierce’s four-year, $114 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.
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