The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have wide receiver Jordan Addison for the first quarter of their Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns, and it was because of his own doing.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell held Addison out for the opening period on Sunday because the wideout skipped a walkthrough earlier in the week.
“We’re always gonna keep a lot of those details in house, but I do think I wanna share with you guys [that] he missed a walkthrough this week,” O’Connell said during the postgame press conference. “And those types of things aren’t in alignment with our standards, and wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that.”
Justin Jefferson, Addison’s superstar teammate and offensive captain, told reporters following the game that he “had words” with the third-year receiver over the incident.
“It’s just all about growing up and just being a part of the team and knowing the stakes,” Jefferson said. “I’ve just got to do better keeping him under my wing, and making sure he has his head on straight.”
Addison missed the first three games of the year due to a suspension from the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy.
For his part, Addison was contrite and addressed the team ahead of Sunday’s game in London.
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“I thought he handled it professionally,” O’Connell continued. “He spoke with the team to let them know that whenever I gave him the opportunity to go in the game, they could count on him. And he makes the game-winning catch.”
Addison finished the day with five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown, which he scored with 25 seconds remaining in the game and served as the winning play in Minnesota’s 21-17 victory.
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