Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison got nicked up during the team’s season opener against the New York Giants on Sunday, September 8. However, he appears to have dodged the worst-case scenario.
Addison suffered an ankle injury during the game, which forced him to the sideline in the third quarter. He did not return.
Following the Vikings’ 22-point drubbing of the Giants on the road, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported a significant update on Addison’s condition.
“#Vikings WR Jordan Addison will have more tests on his ankle injury tomorrow, but my understanding is he is not believed to have suffered a major injury,” Rapoport wrote. “Good news for an offense that saw Sam Darnold look effortless — with his only INT coming on a deflected pass after being hit.”
Jordan Addison Was Off to Good Start Before Injury Struck
Addison finished the day with 3 catches on 4 targets for 35 yards. He put up 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 TDs during his rookie campaign in 2023.
Part of Addison’s production last year was due to his elevation into the No. 1 receiver spot for the seven games Justin Jefferson missed with a hamstring injury.
Addison dealt with an ankle issue during the preseason that sidelined him for several weeks, though he was able to get back to full strength with just days to spare and start against the Giants Sunday.
If he is unable to play next week against the San Francisco 49ers, wideout Jalen Nailor will likely take his place alongside Jefferson as the WR2 option for Darnold.
Nailor was the only Minnesota wideout to catch a pass in Sunday’s game other than Jefferson and Addison, securing 1 grab for a 21-yard score. The rest of Darnold’s 19 completions were either to tight ends or players coming out of the backfield.
Running Back Aaron Jones Played Big Role in Vikings Debut
Two of those passes landed in the hands of new running back Aaron Jones, who came over from the rival Green Bay Packers during the offseason, for a combined gain of 15 yards. Jones added 94 yards in the run game on 14 carries and scored a touchdown.
Jones stepped up big for the Vikings in his first game with the franchise. Otherwise, the game proved a team effort defined more by its outcome than individual performances — at least on the Vikings side.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson remains out with a knee injury he sustained against the Detroit Lions late last year, and Minnesota doesn’t expect him back before Week 7 when it takes on those same Lions in Minneapolis following an early bye week.
In Hockenson’s stead on Sunday, fellow tight ends Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt each recorded 2 catches for 27 yards and 15 yards, respectively. Running back Ty Chandler added 3 receptions for 25 yards, while fullback C.J. Ham hauled in 2 throws for 11 yards.
Darnold finished the day 19-of-24 passing for 208 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT and a rating of 113.2. If he can continue to play that well, the Vikings could field a potent passing attack by the time Addison and Hockenson — the second-best and third-best pass catchers on the roster in some order — return.
