Following a 2024 misdemeanor DUI citation, the Minnesota Vikings could be without former first-round pick Jordan Addison in the 2025 season if he faces any suspension from the NFL. With this case still working its way through the court system, his results could impact the Vikings greatly in the upcoming season. However, if Addison gets suspended in 2025, the Vikings seemingly have a plan ready involving former sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell.
“I think we basically went through that last year with Jordan [missing games],” O’Connell said via ESPN. “We essentially, for two and a half games, didn’t have him, and we were able to beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans with Jalen Nailor playing huge roles in those games.”
Not only did Nailor step in and help the Vikings’ offense in 2024, but Minnesota’s head coach has sky-high expectations for the former sixth-round pick in 2025.
“I think this is a massive, massive year for his career,” O’Connell added.
Related Minnesota Vikings NewsArticle continues below
Now, as a sixth-round pick in 2022, Nailor isn’t necessarily someone who the Vikings might’ve expected to rely on as much as they did in 2024. However, once Addison began the season with a tweaked ankle, the Vikings called up their sixth-round pick to fill in.
In Addison’s absence during the second half of Week 1 — along with the entirety of Weeks 2 and 3 — Nailor showed his potential, ending the season with his most impressive stat sheet since being drafted. At the end of the 2024 season, Nailor totaled 28 receptions, 414 yards, and six touchdowns. Compared to his first two seasons in the league, he more than doubled those stats in 2024. In fact, he scored six times as many touchdowns in 2024 compared to his first two seasons.
So, while Addison could face a suspension in 2025, the Vikings seem prepared, regardless of the outcome. If Addison doesn’t get suspended, the Vikings can utilize their 2023 first-round pick. However, if Addison does get suspended, the Vikings can bring Nailor into the starting lineup, as he’s proven to be capable of producing in the NFL.
The best-case scenario for the Vikings is that Jordan Addison doesn’t face suspension, allowing them to have three competent receivers in him, Justin Jefferson, and Jalen Nailor. But, if the Vikings need to pivot, they have their plan ready.