Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison raised eyebrows with his post on Instagram, leaving some to speculate he could be eyeing a trade.
The post included a picture of Addison on the field in uniform with a short message – “Free 3.” It comes amid a slow start to the season. After posting 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, Addison is on track for a 42-693-3 line.
However, teammate Mekhi Blackmon – who was Addison’s teammate at USC in 2022 and a member of the same draft class – insists Addison is not seeking a trade amid budding rumors.
“No tf he not,” Blackmon posted on X on October 26 along with one such suggestion.
Addison is in the second year of a four-year, $13.7 million contract. So Addison has little leverage to demand a trade. The Vikings have also stood by him through run-ins with police in back-to-back seasons, including an arrest outside of Los Angeles Airport in July.
Jordan Addison Navigating Changes in 2nd NFL Season With Vikings
Addison stirred the pot in September, posting an image on Instagram of himself walking off the field with a towel over his head and training staff accompanying him.
That was after he missed his second game with an ankle injury.
Addison returned for the following game, six days after making that post. Addison logged at an 85% rate or better in Weeks 5 through 8, per Pro Football Reference. However, the circumstances around Addison are different this season compared to 2023.
Addison notably amassed 36 grabs, 482 yards, and 7 scores in the first eight weeks of the 2023 season with Kirk Cousins under center.
Justin Jefferson also missed Weeks 6 through 12 with a hamstring injury.
Fellow former USC Trojan Sam Darnold is under center this season. Darnold led the NFL in touchdown passes through the first five weeks. Addison was not part of that breakout, missing Weeks 2 and 3 with an ankle injury, and Darnold has since cooled off in that regard.
Addison, the No. 23 overall pick of the 2023 draft, also shared a photo of himself and Jefferson on the field that did not gain the same traction his other post did.
T.J. Hockenson’s Return Could Further Complicate Matters for Jordan Addison
If Addison is having an issue with his targets so far, tight end T.J. Hockenson‘s impending return could exacerbate the situation for the Vikings.
Hockenson is a two-time Pro Bowler who caught 95 passes for 960 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023. He led the team in total targets and trailed only the No. 1 wideout, Jefferson, in targets per game.
Addison is second on the Vikings behind Jefferson in targets per game this season.
However, running back Aaron Jones is close behind him. The team has also been more committed to the run this season with Jones leading the backfield.
They ranked 28th in 2023 with 23.1 rushing attempts per game. They rank 11th through seven-plus weeks in 2024. If there is anything that could keep the targets high, it is that the Vikings’ defense has sprung leaks on the ground.
They allowed over 100 rushing yards to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
The defense also allowed 30-plus points in both of those games, and they have allowed more than 28 points in three of their last four games including Week 4 versus the Green Bay Packers.
