Jordan Addison discusses arrest and other news: Vikings training camp Day 1 takeaways (2024)

EAGAN, Minn. — Training camp is underway, and there was no better sign of it than Brian Flores walking out of the locker room and onto the turf Wednesday.

He wore shades and a flat bill cap. Several defensive coaches trailed in his wake. Flores moved slowly and methodically but with a purpose. A vibe emanated: Time to rev it up.

And rev it up, they did. The Minnesota Vikings held their first practice of training camp Wednesday. Here are my takeaways:

It all starts here.#Skol pic.twitter.com/tzNoSfxSBH

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 24, 2024

Addison in a ‘dark place’ since arrest

Reporters surrounded second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison when he stepped off the turf. He started with a statement: “I know everybody’s going to have some questions about what happened. If I was y’all, I would, too.”

Two weeks ago, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Addison on suspicion of DUI. Addison, according to the police report, had been found asleep at the wheel of a white Rolls-Royce near LAX.

While Addison has yet to explain what happened on the morning of July 12, he did say he would accept whatever punishment is handed down by the NFL or the Vikings.

“Any disciplinary actions that come my way,” Addison said, “I’m going to stand tall, face it, get through it and shake back.”

Last July, Addison was cited for driving 140 mph in a 55 mph zone. He said afterward that he would “learn from” the circ*mstances and “not repeat the behavior.” On Wednesday, the 22-year-old said he’s in a “dark place” and is “trying to block out the world” in the aftermath of his latest arrest.

“It (is) a lot,” Addison said. “It (is) a lot on me sometimes. Things come out in the media, and a lot of people who are reading it don’t really know who I am. They just judge me off the incidents that happen. They’re not around me every day. They don’t know what I do for people outside of football. That’s all it is. It (is) tough.”

Teammates, Addison said, reached out immediately. Some were hard on him. He said he appreciated their level of care and also shared that he recently apologized to the team. Addison also met with head coach Kevin O’Connell, whom Addison said “was disappointed, of course.”

“I ain’t got it all figured out right now,” Addison said, “but you know, I’m just going to keep moving forward.”

Darrisaw’s extension is well-received

What makes Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw worth up to $113 million? Who better to ask than Brian O’Neill, Darrisaw’s locker mate and fellow tackle?

“Well, he’s unbelievably freakish athletically for how big he is,” O’Neill began. “That’s a good start.”

What else?

“He plays with really good body position at all times.”

Go on …

“The way he can bend, there’s a lot of guys who weigh 250 and can’t bend like he can,” O’Neill said. “He’s strong as an ox in the weight room. He works hard at it. He takes care of his body. He’s going to be elite for a long, long time.”

Suffice it to say that the Vikings, organizationally, agree. Minnesota’s brass, specifically general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president Rob Brzezinski broached the extension topic with Darrisaw’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, months ago. Conversations developed over time, and the Vikings agreed to a four-year extension that will keep Darrisaw in Minnesota through 2029.

Why this deal now? It’s security for Darrisaw, and it prevents the Vikings from watching the market tick up further.

Christian Darrisaw talks about his contract extension https://t.co/mYD9tlZba8

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 24, 2024

Are experts underestimating the Vikings?

You cannot hide from what the experts think about the 2024 Vikings. Over-under win totals are listed everywhere, and the Vikings’ number hovers around 6 1/2. There is a lot of media attention being paid to the three other NFC North teams, too, whether it’s about Jordan Love’s extension, Caleb Williams’ arrival or the Lions’ trajectory.

One reporter asked O’Connell how he views the lack of hype around his team. He suggested he doesn’t care.

“We’re really not concerned with what’s being said, projections,” O’Connell said. “Year over year, you can look at those things and see a totally different outcome at the end of a season.”

Running back Aaron Jones, meanwhile, made clear that he is not only well aware of the perceptions about his team but that he’s using them as fuel. This isn’t the first time.

Last year, oddsmakers mostly projected Jones’s former team, the Green Bay Packers, to rack up 7 1/2 wins. The Packers ultimately won nine regular season games and nearly reached the Super Bowl.

“A lot of narratives are being put out across the NFC North,” Jones said. “The Vikings aren’t mentioned at all. That’s kinda how we want it. When it’s time to play, the players really do the narrating.”

Jones isn’t short on motivation

Jones said Wednesday, unprompted: “I feel like I’m still slept on. I feel like I don’t get the respect some of these other running backs get.”

This is a guy who last season ran for 100 yards in back-to-back playoff games. Against the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, no less. He tied for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns in 2020 and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Slept on? Really?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I think they ranked the running backs, and I was, like, 18th or something like that.”

Maybe Jones was hinting at a random story on the internet. Maybe he was referencing a piece from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who listed Jones not in the top 10 running backs but in the “honorable mention” category. Regardless, Jones’ choice to mention this on the first day of training camp at age 29 felt notable.

Sights and sounds

• Vikings second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon stumbled on a pass coverage rep in a seven-on-seven period and stayed on the ground as a doctor and trainer attended to him. Blackmon remained down on the sideline for several minutes, then ultimately hobbled into the locker room.

A source later confirmed Blackmon had suffered a torn ACL. His absence will further deplete an already thin cornerback room. Even though the Vikings signed Duke Shelley on Tuesday, their depth is minimal behind Shaq Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr., who has a history of injuries himself.

• When Jalen Nailor is healthy, he stands out. Wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell directed the Vikings receivers through early drills Wednesday, and Nailor appeared bulkier than in years past. If he stays healthy, he is likely the internal favorite to be the team’s No. 3 receiver, a role O’Connell discussed Wednesday. For as much faith as the staff has in Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson, it still feels like the Vikings could add a more experienced and reliable option at this spot.

• Blake Brandel took some first-team reps at left guard, while Dalton Risner mixed in at right guard with the second unit. O’Connell fixated on Brandel when talking about the interior of the offensive line. All signs are that he’s the preferred candidate for the job, but that he’s going to have to play well during padded practices.

Rapid-fire observations

First-round edge rusher Dallas Turner bounced around mostly with the first-team defense. … Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel was healthy enough to compete on some snaps. … Tight end T.J. Hockenson was running sprints on a hill adjacent to the field, looking as spry as he has since his injury last season. … Sam Darnold looked dialed in, firing passes to Justin Jefferson, including a 50-yarder on a post route that was converted. … J.J. McCarthy looked comfortable and controlled. One pass was tipped, but he was mostly accurate and velocity was not an issue. … Safety Theo Jackson jumped a comeback route and deflected a pass, picking up where he left off from the spring. … Cornerback Akayleb Evans did not take many snaps with the presumed starters. … Once, Griffin blanketed Jefferson, swatted away a pass, and celebrated with a spank — and was flagged for it.

(Photo: Craig Lassig / Associated Press)

Alec Lewis is a staff writer covering the Minnesota Vikings for The Athletic. He grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and has written for Yahoo, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Kansas City Star, among many other places. Follow Alec on Twitter @alec_lewis