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Jordan Addison's suspension could force the Vikings' hand to add a starting caliber WR with a fan favorite leading the way
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Jordan Addison's suspension could force the Vikings' hand to add a starting caliber WR with a fan favorite leading the way

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Tyler Forness  |  Last updated Aug 6, 2025 11:21 AM ET

The Minnesota Vikings got the bad news they were expecting on Tuesday afternoon when the National Football League suspended wide receiver Jordan Addison for three games stemming from his arrest in July of 2024 that resulted in Driving Under the Influence charges. While Addison pleaded down to a lesser charge, the personal conduct policy doesn't go by that, but rather what happened in the incident.

With his three game suspension, that will put him out against the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals. He will return to the team ahead of their two week overseas trip to Dublin in week four against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Without Addison, the Vikings don't have the strongest wide receiver group. Jalen Nailor has been inconsistent across the board when he's been given opportunities, and Lucky Jackson may be the WR3 without Addison. However, the Vikings did beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 and smoked the Houston Texans 34-7 without Addison and T.J. Hockenson, who was still recovering from a torn ACL.

They don't need to add a wide receiver, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might want to add one for better depth, and, even though Keenan Allen signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday, there are some interesting options if they want with four highlighted, but the three preseason games could end up giving the Vikings a different idea. Let's break it down.

Vikings WR options with Jordan Addison suspended

Amari Cooper

Over the course of the last decade, there haven't been many better route runners in the NFL. In fact, his nickname on Pro Football Reference is "The Route Runner." Cooper has played with three organizations over the course of his career, and has been traded on three occasions.

This past season was a rough one for Cooper. One season removed from a Pro Bowl berth and 1,250 yards, Cooper struggled to find his footing with the Buffalo Bills once he was traded, catching just 20 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns through the eight games he appeared in. Cooper is likely waiting until training camp has mostly passed, as he's a 10 year veteran, but his route running savvy would be useful as a depth player that doesn't need to be relied upon like a WR1 or 2.

Tyler Boyd

This isn't the Tyler Boyd of old that was a really good WR3 for Joe Burrow during the beginning of his career. He is starting to lose the limited amount of athleticism that he had, which is to be expected for a player entering his age 31 season.

Where Boyd can end up making an impact ins in the slot as a steady player in 11 personnel. He won't be flashy, but head coach Kevin O'Connell has maximized plenty of players who aren't at their athletic peak. Last season with the Tennessee Titans, Boyd caught 39 passes for 390 yards with some poor quarterback play across the board. J.J. McCarthy would be an improvement on that.

Brandon Powell

This is the first of two former Vikings receivers who could be targets for the Vikings. The first is Brandon Powell, who thrived for the Vikings during training camp two years ago and lasted two years with the team. His biggest highlight came in 2023 when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Josh Dobbs in the come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.

He took a step back last season with the emergence of Nailor, and his struggles as a punt returner were a significant reason why he didn't see as much production. However, Powell knows the offense, which is something that head coach Kevin O'Connell has prioritized over the course of his tenure in Minnesota. Pair that with him being a free agent and it could be a determining factor into strengthening the depth in the wide receiver room.

Adam Thielen

There are some players who the Vikings could end up making a trade for, and one of those is the former Vikings Pro Bowler Thielen. The Vikings parted ways with Thielen after the 2022 season due to financial reasons. He wasn't worth the money that was due to him, and they made the difficult decision to move on.

After he left Minnesota, Thielen signed with the Carolina Panthers, and has been a solid player. In 2023, he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, with last season still hauling in 48 receptions for 615 yards and five touchdowns across just 10 games. Thielen isn't the elite player he once was the Vikings, including two Pro Bowl nods and a second-team All Pro selection in 2017. What he does bring is a veteran presence, along with knowing both the offense and organization.

Now, it would cost the Vikings a day three draft pick to acquire Thielen, but it could be worth it, especially down in the red zone. The Panthers might be willing to move on from him as well, with their wide receiver group being relatively deep. Thielen could be expendable, especially considering his $10.1 million cap hit this season. The Vikings would only inherit a base salary of $6.25 million, which is something the Vikings can absorb with their over $25 million in salary cap space.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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