Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison may have caught the game-winning touchdown from Carson Wentz in the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns — but the young receiver was in hot water with his head coach just hours before.
Vikings’ Jordan Addison Shockingly Benched in Browns Clash
Addison was quietly absent in the first quarter of the Vikings’ 21-17 win over the Browns on Sunday, Oct. 5, which was called a coaching decision by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the decision to bench Addison.
“He missed a walkthrough this week; those types of things aren’t in alignment with our standards,” O’Connell said in his postgame news conference. “I wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that.”
While O’Connell was transparent with his grievances with Addison, he maintained a positive tone in Addison’s redemption.
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“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 added. “I love Jordan Addison. He’s a guy I care about tremendously. He knows every guy in that locker room has his back. He knows I will not waver in my confidence and belief in him, but at the same time, we’ve got standards. Personal responsibility and accountability are huge if you want to talk about culture, so that’s what happened there.”
Addison made the most of the opportunities he was given on Sunday. He caught five of six targets for 41 yards, including the 12-yard touchdown connection from Wentz with just 30 seconds left in regulation.
Addison has had a history of behavioral issues. He was suspended for the first three games of the season due to an alcohol-related offense and also had a previous driving incident the summer of his rookie year.
Just 23 years old, Addison is in the third year of his rookie contract and is eligible for a contract extension next offseason.
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