Jordan Addison’s next contract is starting to look less like a simple extension and more like a moving target for the Minnesota Vikings.
The latest wrinkle came Monday, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Zay Flowers agreed to a four-year, $140 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens. That followed Chris Olave’s four-year, $124 million deal with the New Orleans Saints last week, and together the two contracts are giving Minnesota a much clearer read on what it may take to keep Addison.
The number is no longer subtle. If the Vikings decide to wait, Addison’s next deal could land somewhere in the $31 million to $35 million range per year.
That would be a hefty price, but it’s also the reality of the market. Flowers, with a pair of Pro Bowl appearances and the role of top target in Baltimore’s offense, got his payday. And because Addison was drafted one pick after Flowers in 2023, the comparison is sitting right in front of Minnesota.
Addison has been productive from the jump. Since going 23rd overall in the 2023 draft, he has caught 175 passes for 2,396 yards and 22 touchdowns. His numbers have dipped in each of his three seasons, but Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell still sees him as a strong fit alongside Justin Jefferson, which is why the team could choose to make the long-term commitment now.
There are reasons the conversation is complicated, though. Addison was cited for speeding before his rookie season, then was arrested on suspicion of DWI in California ahead of the 2024 campaign.
That charge was later reduced in a plea agreement the following summer, but the NFL still handed down a suspension. Last January, he was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Tampa, Fla., which turned him into an offseason trade candidate.
Even with all that baggage, the Vikings have stayed the course. They picked up his fifth-year option to give themselves more time, and the latest arrest did not end the possibility of a new deal after charges were dropped.
If Minnesota waits, the price likely only climbs. Olave and Flowers have now set the market, and Addison’s own profile - including a first 1,000-yard season - would put him in the same general neighborhood. A deal around $33.5 million annually would slot him just outside the NFL’s top five highest-paid receivers according to Over The Cap.
That kind of number might make some fans pause, but in a market that keeps rising, it could look reasonable before long. The Vikings now have a clearer sense of what it will take to keep Addison in place past next season.
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When the Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins, the search for their next quarterback was always going to come with a little noise, and Kevin OConnell only added to it this week on a local radio appearance. The head coach talked about the organization wanting a young passer in place for the future, which fit the broad outline of what Minnesota was trying to do in 2024 as it sorted through its post-Cousins options.
The timing matters because Cris Carter had already stirred the pot by saying former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted J.J. McCarthy in that draft, while OConnell was supposedly pushing another direction. OConnell did not shut that down directly, and with McCarthy eventually landing in Minnesota after the team missed on its preferred quarterback path, the conversation around how that pick came together is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
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Vikings Camp Is Already Framing Two Key Offensive Battles
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What makes this stretch important is that camp observations are starting to frame two battles that could influence how the Vikings attack the season. These are the kinds of competitions that often get clearer only after a few more practices and live looks, but for now the early signs are enough to make the next few weeks worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]