Vikings' Jordan Addison waits for potential NFL suspension after drunken driving plea deal
There is one more pressing matter to resolve, leaving the team and the third-year wide receiver to wait on potential punishment from the NFL as training camp unfolds.
After Addison avoided a trial on a drunken driving case in California by pleading no contest to a lesser charge last week, the adjudication paved the way for the league to issue discipline. NFL policy on substances of abuse calls for a three-game suspension for a first offense of an alcohol-related violation of the law.
Though Addison resolved the citation from 2024 with a 'wet reckless' misdemeanor that comes with fewer penalties and does not count as a DUI conviction on his driving record, a no-contest plea bargain doesn't exclude players from league suspensions.
'Everything is out of my control right now, so whatever the league has got for me, I'll be prepared with whatever decision they make,' Addison said Wednesday, before the team's first full practice of training camp.
Addison had to pay a fine and complete two online courses, with the expectation his probation will be shortened from 12 to six months.
'Just to get it all behind me and just get on with the season,' he said, when asked why he opted for the plea bargain.
As for his takeaway from the legal process, which began before his rookie year with a citation in Minnesota for excessive speeding?
'Just be smart,' Addison said. 'Make smart decisions. That's pretty much all.'
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said the team has been in contact with the NFL about the case but had no indication about when to expect a decision.
'They're obviously going through their process, and we'll know as soon as they know,' Adofo-Mensah said. 'Obviously, when that originally happened, we knew that it was a possibility, but really you're talking about team building in general. You might not have players on the field for various reasons, and you've always got to be ready with depth, players you're excited about taking the field and taking those opportunities, and this is no different.'
Those players include Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton and Rondale Moore. Nailor had a breakout season in 2024, with 28 catches for 414 yards and six touchdowns after his first two years in the league were hampered by injuries. Felton was the team's third-round draft pick out of Maryland. Moore signed as a bargain free agent after missing last season with Atlanta with a torn ACL. He played his first three years in the league for Arizona.
Addison's skills likely won't be replaced by any of those role players, however, should he be absent for the beginning of the season. With 133 catches for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns in two years, the 2023 first-round draft pick has flourished on the field as the sidekick in a dangerous duo with two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson, who invited Addison earlier in the offseason to work out with him.
'Just talking to him and letting him know that, 'Hey, you need to be more vocal,'' Jefferson said during spring practice. 'He has that motivation and he's a great player as well, so people are going to listen to him as he speaks. Just trying to get him out of that shyness phase, or just being closed off and to himself, but I think he is getting better with that.'
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