MINNEAPOLIS, MN — January 3, 2026

Jordan Addison sat in front of his locker after the Vikings’ Week 17 Christmas Day victory over Detroit, and for the first time all season, he allowed himself to reflect on how far he’d come.

From a three-game suspension to start the 2025 season. From a benching for missing a walkthrough. From DUI arrests and questions about his commitment. To 41 receptions for 602 yards and becoming a clutch playoff contributor for an 8-8 Vikings team fighting for their postseason lives.

The journey wasn’t easy. But through it all, one man never wavered: Kevin O’Connell.

“Coach O’Connell made me believe again,” Addison said, his voice catching with emotion. “When everyone else had given up on me, when I’d almost given up on myself, he saw something worth saving. He saved my career.”

The Dark Times

To understand Addison’s redemption, you have to understand how close he came to losing everything.

On July 12, 2024, Addison was arrested near LAX on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. California Highway Patrol officers found him asleep at the wheel, his car blocking traffic lanes. It took a 30-minute investigation before he was arrested and released two hours later.

The charges came swiftly: two misdemeanors for DUI and driving with blood-alcohol content over California’s legal limit of .08 percent. On July 17, 2025, Addison agreed to plead to a lesser “wet reckless” charge to settle the case.

But the damage was done. This wasn’t his first offense — he’d had a driving-related violation in July 2023 during his rookie year. The pattern was clear, and the NFL acted decisively: a three-game suspension to begin the 2025 season for violating the league’s Substances of Abuse Policy.

For many players, that would be the end. But for Kevin O’Connell, it was just the beginning of a redemption story.

The Coach Who Refused to Give Up

When the suspension was announced in August, O’Connell could have distanced himself from his troubled young receiver. Instead, he doubled down on his belief in Addison.

“The important thing to remember is this has been a pretty lengthy process,” O’Connell told reporters. “Jordan’s well aware the standard that he’s been living up to.”

But privately, O’Connell did something more important: he sat down with Addison and had a conversation that would change everything.

“Coach told me, ‘I know you made mistakes. I know you’re hurting. But I also know who you are, and I know what you’re capable of,'” Addison recalled. “He didn’t lecture me. He didn’t make me feel like trash. He just… believed in me. When you’ve let everyone down, that belief means everything.”

O’Connell gave Addison a path forward: work harder than anyone in training camp, take responsibility for his actions, and prove through his actions — not his words — that he deserved another chance.

Addison responded. O’Connell later described Addison’s training camp as worthy of “the podium” — finishing in the top three best camps on the entire team.

“If you asked me to figure out the podium of first, second and third place of the best training camps we had, he would for sure be on the podium,” O’Connell said. “He was as good as he’s ever been for us throughout camp.”

The Test of Accountability

Addison’s return from suspension in Week 4 against Pittsburgh in Dublin should have been triumphant. Instead, it became another test.

Before the Week 5 game against Cleveland in London, Addison missed a walkthrough — a violation of team standards. O’Connell benched him for the entire first quarter.

Viewers were shocked when Addison was nowhere to be found on the Vikings’ first two possessions. There had been no reports suggesting he’d be absent, and he wasn’t on the injury report.

After the game, O’Connell explained his decision with crystal clarity.

“He missed a walkthrough this week,” O’Connell revealed. “Those types of things aren’t in alignment with our standards. Wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that.”

For some coaches, that would have been the end of Addison’s chances. But O’Connell’s approach was different — he held Addison accountable while still believing in him.

“I love Jordan Addison,” O’Connell said that day. “I think he’s a guy that I care about tremendously. He knows that every guy in that locker room has his back. He knows that I will never waver in my confidence and belief in him. But at the same time, we’ve got standards, and personal responsibility and accountability are huge if you want to talk about culture.”

The Game-Winning Response

What happened next defined Addison’s season and proved O’Connell’s faith wasn’t misplaced.

After sitting the first quarter, Addison entered the game in the second. With just 30 seconds remaining and the Vikings trailing the Browns 17-14, quarterback Carson Wentz dropped back and found Addison in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Vikings win, 21-17. Addison: five catches on six targets for 41 yards and the game-winning score.

“He handled it professionally, he spoke with the team to let them know that, whenever I give him the opportunity to go into the game, they can count on him — and he makes the game-winning catch,” O’Connell said afterward.

It was a microcosm of Addison’s entire career with the Vikings — immense talent constantly battling against personal demons and mistakes, with Kevin O’Connell there to provide structure, accountability, and unwavering belief.

The Production Never Wavered

Despite the off-field issues, Addison’s on-field production has been nothing short of remarkable. Through three NFL seasons, he’s caught 174 passes for 2,388 yards and 24 touchdowns in just 45 games — including 21 touchdowns in his first 34 games.

His 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023 tied him with only a handful of first-year Vikings receivers in franchise history. He followed that with 10 more touchdowns in 2024 despite missing time with an ankle injury.

“His role, clearly, is a role that he’s kind of really made for himself over his time here,” O’Connell explained. “Knowing how versatile and all the things we do with Justin [Jefferson], Jordan’s kind of the same way; he could play anywhere.”

O’Connell attributed Addison’s ability to seamlessly perform with any quarterback — he’s caught passes from Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, Jaren Hall, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz, and J.J. McCarthy — to his “very, very unique” route-running and separation skills.

“He can win early. He can win late. And then he’s proven time and time again just how elite a catcher of the football he is,” O’Connell said.

The 2025 Season: Redemption Realized

This season, Addison has recorded 41 receptions for 602 yards through 13 games (he missed three due to suspension). His 28.5 yards per reception ranks third in the NFL, and his ability to make explosive plays — including a 65-yard jet sweep touchdown against Detroit on Christmas — has been critical for a Vikings offense that’s battled through quarterback injuries all season.

Most importantly, Addison has stayed out of trouble. No more arrests. No more suspensions beyond the initial three games. Just football, accountability, and growth.

“Jordan’s going to need to continue to operate the way he has, which has been exactly how we had hoped he would respond going back to when this initially took place,” O’Connell said earlier this season.

The response has exceeded even O’Connell’s expectations.

What Addison Learned

Sitting in that locker room after the Christmas victory, Addison reflected on how Kevin O’Connell’s belief saved him from spiraling into a cautionary tale.

“I was in a dark place,” Addison admitted. “The arrests, the suspension, feeling like I’d let my team down, let my family down. There were moments I didn’t know if I wanted to keep playing football.”

But O’Connell’s approach — demanding accountability while never withdrawing support — gave Addison something to hold onto.

“A lot of coaches would’ve given up on me. Traded me. Buried me on the depth chart. Coach O’Connell did the opposite,” Addison said. “He held me to a higher standard because he believed I could reach it. That’s what real leadership looks like.”

The Road Ahead

As the Vikings prepare for their Week 18 finale against Green Bay with playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Addison has become one of the team’s most reliable weapons. His connection with J.J. McCarthy, Justin Jefferson’s presence drawing coverage, and his own explosive playmaking ability have made Minnesota’s offense dangerous despite quarterback instability all season.

“Hoping he can pick up right where he left off,” O’Connell said earlier this season about Addison’s return from suspension.

He did exactly that — and more.

For Kevin O’Connell, Addison’s journey represents everything he preaches about culture, accountability, and belief. For Jordan Addison, it represents a second chance he almost didn’t get — and refuses to waste.

“Coach O’Connell made me believe again,” Addison repeated, his voice steady now. “When I didn’t believe in myself, he believed in me. I’ll spend the rest of my career trying to prove he was right.”

Based on everything that’s happened this season, he already has.

Jordan Addison 2025 Stats (Through 16 Games, 13 Played):

• Receptions: 41
• Receiving Yards: 602
• Touchdowns: 4
• Yards Per Reception: 14.7
• Career: 174 receptions, 2,388 yards, 24 TDs (45 games)

Kevin O’Connell on Addison: “I love Jordan Addison. He knows I will never waver in my confidence and belief in him.”

Minnesota Vikings: 8-8, Fighting for Playoff Spot in Week 18 vs. Green Bay