Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is the top offensive threat on the practice field with fellow wideout Justin Jefferson staying away to this point and tight end T.J. Hockenson on the mend from a torn ACL and MCL suffered late last season.
The Vikings also saw Kirk Cousins leave for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
Addison met with the media following the second practice in the second round of OTAs and was asked about the new quarterbacks, starting with Sam Darnold.
“It’s been real good. Way better than I expected. They out there playing with a lot of confidence Sam, Nick [Mullens], J.J. [McCarthy] too. They all anticipating throws. Just – they all look good. So I’m confident with whoever they throw out there,” the 2023 first-round pick, Addison, told reporters after practice on May 29.
“We playmakers out there, so I don’t feel like it’s that hard for us. We go out there, we get open. So that take all the pressure off the quarterback there. But it also start in the building too. In the locker room, outside of football. So we doing our thing, though. We doing our thing for sure.”
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Vikings will have one of the more interesting QB situations in the league in 2024. pic.twitter.com/JIlfkQBuFV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2024
Pressed for what exactly he expected from Darnold, Addison was diplomatic.
“I don’t know [what I expected],” Addison said of the journeyman QB. “But he looking good, though. He looking real good.”
Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has touted Darnold’s growth amid extenuating circumstances and says the quarterback’s best ball is ahead of him.
Addison again exuded confidence when asked if there was a significant difference in catching passes from the new QBs.
“It’s a little bit different. But at the end of the day, we get paid to catch the ball. So we got to catch it. But some people got a little softer touch. Some people could throw it a little bit. But at the end of the day, we get paid to catch the ball.”
That led to the inevitable questions about McCarthy.
J.J. McCarthy ‘Making Mistakes But Learning’
The Vikings traded up to select McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick. Darnold is expected to take the reins until McCarthy proves ready.
McCarthy is making a good impression on his new teammate, Addison.
“He got a nice tight spiral, so you got to make sure you catch it,” Addison said. “But I like him though. J.J. been … playing really well. Playing with confidence, anticipating throws, making mistakes but learning from them. He got a bright future.”
Footage of an errant pass to Quarterbacks Coach Josh McCown went viral during rookie minicamp.
But if the Vikings’ plan works, McCarthy won’t see the field until he gets those issues worked out.
Jordan Addison Cites Lessons From Justin Jefferson, Vikings WR Coach
Addison said he has worked to improve his releases this offseason, noting a lack of confidence and tendency to “freelance” last season. Reporters asked the Vikings youngster which aspects of Jefferson’s game he had incorporated into his own.
“What he tell me is trust my feet,” Addison said of his three-time Pro Bowler teammate. “So basically, trust my legs within my routes, within my cuts. Just trust myself.”
He also cited the lessons learned from Wide Receivers Coach Keenan McCardell.
“He took my game to the next level within one year,” Addison said of McCardell, a veteran of 16 NFL seasons from 1992 through 2007. “So I give all my praise to him right now, and I’m just – we going to keep working.”
