The Minnesota Vikings prioritized negotiating Justin Jefferson’s massive extension and navigating a moment of transition at quarterback this spring, and those were the same narratives that made headlines.
While all of this was going on, one of the Vikings’ brightest potential stars was working hard to establish himself as one of the league’s best receivers.
Entering his second season full of optimism that he can surpass his outstanding rookie performance, Jordan Addison feels he has done just that.
According to Addison, “(I’ve) pushed my game to the next level in one year,” as reported by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Reports suggest Addison — in his first full offseason in the NFL — has flourished, blooming under receivers coach Keenan McCardell, who once formed one of league’s top WR combos as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars with Jimmy Smith.
That’s clearly the hope for Addison and Jefferson.
Despite defenses paying more attention to Addison in 2023, Jefferson’s hamstring issue kept him limited to just 10 games. With 10 touchdown receptions and 70 catches for 911 yards, he topped the Vikings and all rookies in this category.
The 2023 NFL Draft’s No. 23 overall selection put up great stats when it came to collecting passes from Nick Mullens, Karen Hall, Josh Dobbs, and Kirk Cousins. Thus, a season’s worth of data indicates Addison will continue to contribute, regardless of who the Vikings start at quarterback this season—J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold.
Maybe a better case may be made with his spring showing.
A year ago at this time, Addison was nursing an injury that forced him to miss Vikings spring practices. This year, he’s put on a show at organized team activities and minicamp.
“Jordan Addison had as good of an offseason program as really you can ask for,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “[He is] a guy that had a ton of success in Year 1. And really, from a standpoint of getting a little stronger, getting a little bit more comfortable playing through contact and still playing with that great burst and transition that he has, you saw some real growth there [this spring].”
Addison has been working hard behind the scenes and out of the press. In particular, he has focused on honing his technique in the hopes that it will enhance his already exceptional skills.
“I wasn’t as sure in my releases last year,” he admitted. “I lacked decisiveness. When I was approaching the line, I had no plan. I was just trying to make ends meet as a freelancer.”
He put in a lot of effort in 2023, and he thinks his offseason development will be crucial to an even greater 2024.
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