Despite off-field concerns, Addison will be back.
In what feels like a no-brainer for the Minnesota Vikings, despite off-field concerns, Jordan Addison will have his fifth-year option exercised, according to interim GM Rob Brzezinski.
"He's a really important player for us, an impact player," Brzezinski said. "We're definitely exercising the option. For sure. The deadline for that is after the draft."
The 23rd overall pick in the NFL draft will be under team control until 2027, and his contract will be fully guaranteed. The last Viking to have their fifth-year option exercised was offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw in 2021.
Teams have the opportunity to exercise fifth-year options to extend rookie contracts of first-round picks. The deadline for doing so for Addison is May 2026 to apply to the 2027 season.
The decision felt inevitable despite Addison's issues off the field. Addison became the 13th rookie in NFL history to record 900 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in his rookie season. That number tied Addison with Sammy White for the second most by a rookie in Vikings history, behind Randy Moss in 1998, when the rookie scored 17 touchdowns.
Tacking on the 5th year ensures that the 24-year-old WR2 sticks around for a minimum of two more years. He’s carrying a $4.3 million cap charge into 2026 that will bump up to $18 million in 2027, per OTC.
The franchise tag is in play once Addison is set to hit free agency. Addison's impressive rookie season is even more striking when you consider the Vikings cycled through four quarterbacks that season. Between 2023 and 2024, Addison totaled 19 touchdowns before a suspension stole the beginning of his season in 2025.
The inconsistency at quarterback last season affected Addison as it did all the pass catchers and the Vikings offense as a whole. His arrow in 2026 is pointing up with Kyler Murray bound to start in Week 1.
The Vikings' vote of confidence comes after an offseason of trade rumors and speculation. Addison's fifth-year option makes even more sense with the departure of Jalen Nailor in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Since getting drafted by Minnesota, he's been cited for excessive speeding in his car, arrested on suspicion of DUI after he was found sleeping behind the wheel of his car in the middle of a highway offramp, and, most recently, arrested for trespassing after failing to leave a place called the Noodle Bar inside a Florida Casino.
The Vikings must have confidence that those days are behind him.