Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

NFL Suspends Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver For 3 Games

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 6:10 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings will begin the 2025 season without one of their top playmakers.

No, not that one.

As confirmed by the Vikings, the NFL suspended Addison for the first three games of the regular season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The wide receiver was arrested for a DUI citation last year.

Minnesota said Addison is still allowed to participate in the team's training camp and play preseason games.

In July 2024, Addison was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol when police found him asleep at the wheel of his Rolls-Royce blocking a lane near the Los Angeles airport. He pleaded no contest to a lesser "wet reckless" charge of reckless driving with the involvement of alcohol last month.

Addison received a $390 fine, year-long probation, and was ordered to complete online training courses. But the plea deal acknowledged alcohol use, leaving him susceptible to punishment under the NFL's substance abuse policy.

"Everything is out of my control right now," Addison said at the start of training camp, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "But whatever the league got for me, I'll be prepared for the decision that they make."

Addison has made an instant impact in Minnesota, scoring 19 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons. The No. 23 pick caught 63 of 99 targets for 875 yards in 2024 before tallying 29 yards in a first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The suspension costs the 23-year-old key early reps with his new quarterback. J.J. McCarthy takes over Minnesota's offense from Sam Darnold after sitting out his entire rookie season with a knee injury.

Addison will miss a pair of primetime games to start the season. The Vikings open their 2025 calendar with a Monday Night Football clash against the Chicago Bears before hosting the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

He'll complete his suspension by sitting out a Week 3 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals before returning to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin on Sept. 28.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: