Kevin O'Connell reveals why Jordan Addison was benched for a quarter

Jordan Addison being benched for the first quarter of Sunday's game in London was due to the third-year wide receiver missing a walkthrough session during the week, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed in his postgame press conference.

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

Viewers were taken by surprise at the start of the game when Addison was nowhere to be found on the Vikings' first two offensive possessions. There had been no reporting that suggested he would be absent, and he wasn't on the injury report. Eventually, it was reported by ESPN's Kevin Seifert that it was a coach's decision.

Addison returned to the game in the second quarter and finished his day by catching the game-winning touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in Minnesota's 21-17 win over the Browns.

The Vikings spent the week at Hanbury Manor in Ware, England, about an hour north of London. It's not clear exactly what happened that resulted in Addison missing a walkthrough, especially considering the team was living and practicing at the same isolated location, but he ended up sitting out an entire quarter because of it.

"He knows that (isn't acceptable)," O'Connell said. "Thought he handled it professionally. 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."

"It's a difficult situation," teammate Justin Jefferson said. "I definitely had my words with JA. But it's just all about growing up and just being a part of the team and knowing the stakes and knowing that he's a valuable part of the team. ... I've just got to do better keeping him under my wing and making sure he has his head on straight."

To some extent, this game was a microcosm of Addison's career with the Vikings so far. The early benching wasn't his first off-the-field incident; Addison ran into trouble with driving-related violations in July 2023 and again in July 2024. For the latter infraction, he was suspended three games to begin this season. But when he's been on the field, Addison's talent has been undeniable. The game-winning touchdown catch was his 21st TD in 34 NFL games.

Wentz to Addison... VIKINGS LEAD LATE IN LONDON. 🇬🇧 @NFLUKIRE

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"I love Jordan Addison," O'Connell said. "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. So that's what happened there."

The Vikings are going to need Addison going forward. But mistakes like this one can't be avoided in the inevitable conversation that will happen about whether the team should sign him to a big-money contract extension over the next couple offseasons. The 2023 first-round pick has one year left on his rookie deal after this season, plus a potential fifth-year option in 2027.

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