The Minnesota Vikings could get more clarity about the future availability of starter and former first-round pick Jordan Addison.
Addison was arrested for suspicion of DUI after California Highway Patrol officers found him asleep behind the wheel of his car near Los Angeles International Airport, according to a police report obtained by Heavy Sports in July.
Addison entered a plea of “not guilty” on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Kevin Siefert.
“Vikings WR Jordan Addison pleaded not guilty today to 2 misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from a July arrest near Los Angeles Airport, according to Superior Court of California online records,” Seifert reported in a post on X on December 3. “He now has a pre-trial conference hearing scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025.”
Addison addressed the issue as much as possible during Vikings training camp, saying he was in a “dark place” following the incident.
“I know everybody going to have some questions about what happened a few weeks ago. If I was ya’ll, I would too. But I was told by my attorney and my agent that I couldn’t really answer too many questions on it,” Addison told reporters in July. “I’m just blessed to be here in front of you guys.
“I’m not sure what’s going on [discipline-wise]. But I own up to whatever it is. Any disciplinary actions that come my way, I’m going to stand tall, face it, get through it, and shake back.”
Addison could face a multi-game suspension, which would be a big blow to the Vikings.
“They said, ‘Suspicion of DUI,’ I believe was the language in the arrest report,” the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling said on “The Paul Allen Show” in July. “If it was an edible or something and not alcohol, that’s legal in California. So that may change all of the nature of this too.
“If it’s alcohol, certainly given the Kyrie Jackson stuff – and just given the nature of it in general – yeah, I think the precedent for that is three games, and the optics of it, obviously, are really bad at the moment. You don’t want people driving under the influence of anything. And falling asleep at the wheel, not good at all. But the legality question, I wonder if that gets more complex if it’s … not alcohol and it is something like [an edible].”
Kevin O’Connell Faced Criticism for Vikings’ Legal Woes
Addison, who Seifert reported pleaded guilty to speeding in Minnesota as a rookie, is one of several Vikings that have been arrested during head coach Kevin O’Connell’s tenure.
“Why would it be shocking that players wouldn’t respect anything when it comes to their off-field activity if there’s no consequences whatsoever?” Matthew Coller said on “Purple Insider” in July. “If you never have consequences to any of the actions that happen off the field, why would anyone respect that?”
O’Connell downplayed Addison’s rookie citation but took a more stern tone with his arrest.
However, the Vikings suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips following his arrest for DWI. Phillips’s blood alcohol content of 1.0. That is above the 0.8 legal limit in Minnesota.
Moreover, Jackson, a cornerback and the Vikings’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, died in a car crash in July. He was killed when the vehicle he was riding in as a passenger was struck by another car.
Jordan Addison’s Legal Woes Loom Large Over Playoff-Bound Vikings
The NFL playoffs begin on January 11. Minnesota has a 99% chance of making it, per NFL.com as of December 3.
The next date for Addison is a pre-trial committee, not an actual trial. The NFL will likely continue to wait for a resolution. If the proceedings follow a similar timeline as they already have, Addison’s next court-related date should be in the offseason.
Addison’s case could take center stage for the Vikings and the NFL then.
