Last week, during the third quarter of the Minnesota Vikings’ game against Green Bay, Jordan Addison lined up in the slot and ran a simple 5-yard hitch route. He sold the stop so convincingly that Packers safety Javon Bullard relaxed his coverage for just a moment.
Addison quickly spun to his left, raced towards the sideline, and sprinted ahead. Bullard couldn’t catch up, and Addison caught the pass from Sam Darnold right as he crossed the goal line, extending the Vikings’ lead to 20-3.
In just 31 games in the NFL, Addison is already making his mark in the end zone. He’s scored 19 touchdowns, tying him with Odell Beckham Jr. for the fourth-most by a player under the age of 23 in league history. Only Randy Moss (28), Rob Gronkowski (27), and Ja’Marr Chase (22) have more.
“He’s a baller. He’s a silent killer. He’s like the ninja on the team. He’s not going to say too many words, but he’s going to ball whenever he gets the ball,” said his fellow wide receiver, Justin Jefferson.
Addison is already among the top receivers in Vikings history, ranking behind only Jefferson and Moss in receiving yards over his first two seasons. Addison, who was drafted 23rd overall out of Southern California in 2023 after starting his college career at Pittsburgh, has worked hard to achieve his success.
“He’s putting in a ton of work on the field and off the field during the week to be able to put himself in good positions,” said Sam Darnold. “The way that he’s been coming into work, he’s just been a pro. This whole entire year he’s been a pro, but to see it coming to fruition and see him do well, it’s really fun to watch.”
Addison still has some areas to prove himself in, particularly with offseason discipline. He was arrested for excessive speeding before his rookie year and for drunk driving last summer.
Addison pleaded not guilty last month to two misdemeanor charges in the latter case, and he faces another court date, along with likely NFL punishment next season.
Since his arrival at training camp, Addison has focused on improving. Despite battling two sprained ankles, one during preseason and another in the season opener that kept him out of the next two games, he has raised his performance level. He has accumulated 577 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in the last seven games.
“He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s really learned how to play bigger, play stronger, play through contact, because that’s what this league seems to be,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell. “These guys know that they’re being told, ‘This guy will be wide open if you don’t get your hands on him.’”
Addison, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 175 pounds, has always been one of the smallest players on the field. Because of this, he learned to absorb contact effectively, a skill that helps him not only when trying to get open downfield but also when blocking a larger defender during a running play.
When the Vikings were evaluating Addison ahead of the draft, O’Connell noted that Addison’s route-running ability stood out. His continuous improvement in that area, along with making contested catches, has been a point of pride for Addison in his second season.
The 5-yard hitch-and-go route that Addison used to score against Green Bay was tweaked just a day before the game. O’Connell and his staff were concerned that pressure on Darnold in the pocket might prevent Addison from locking eyes with him before turning around and sprinting.
“In practice, they were like, ‘We don’t know how much time he’s going to have, so once you come to a complete stop, pause for a second, then hit it,’” Addison explained. “So that’s what I did. It worked out perfect.”
With Jefferson often receiving heavy attention from defenders, the Vikings move him around the formation to get him the ball as much as possible. This requires Addison to know all the routes from all positions, demonstrating his intelligence in the system. O’Connell noticed this during the pre-draft interview process.
“I remember being pretty blown away by where he was at. And then, any time I’m installing a play and I’m going down the road of probably, like you guys can imagine, overcooking it a little bit, I always look up and see him: He’s got a pen.
He’s writing it down. He’s drawing it up,” O’Connell said. “Just his ability to take some of those things and make it come to life is incredibly impactful.”
