Justin Jefferson is built different.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings needed a big play to get the win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday morning, and they got that from wide receiver Jordan Addison in getting the go-ahead touchdown for a 21-17 victory.
It was a big play from a big-time player in Addison, but the game didn’t start out the way. Addison was held out of the first quarter due to a “coach’s decision.”
“He missed a walk-through this week. And you know, those types of things aren’t in alignment with our with our standards,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell about Addison missing the first quarter. “We wanted to make sure he was held accountable for that. But at the same time, he knows that I 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.”
Justin Jefferson shows major leadership with Jordan Addison
It’s never a good thing to have one of your players receive discipline from the coaching staff, but it’s another for that player t0 be one who just came off a three-game suspension for the DUI arrest he had in the summer of 2024.
It’s frustrating on multiple levels, and amplified because he’s so talented with 19 touchdowns entering Sunday’s game. That “benching” from O’Connell prompted wide receiver Justin Jefferson to speak to Addison, and it shows once again why he’s one of the best in the league.
“It’s a difficult situation,” said Jefferson. “I definitely have my words with [Addison], but it’s all about, growing up and being a part of the team, and knowing that he’s a valuable part of this team. So it’s more you know about the team, and more about just us as a whole, but for him to come out with that going on and still being able to make plays out there and finishing the game with the touchdown to get us up, it was like it was meant to happen. He’s a tremendous talent, I just got to do better in keeping him under my wing and making sure that he’s had he has his head on straight.”
Those are some passionate words from Jefferson, who was voted captain once again this year. He’s just a different kind of player, as he leads like you would expect a quarterback to do. There’s no complaining about the lack of targets at times or that he’s had eight starting quarterbacks in his six years, he just focuses on the team. That’s rare for a wide receiver, a position that’s prone to have divas.
Hopefully, the words from Jefferson and O’Connell resonate with Addison, as there is still a firm belief in him as a person and player.
“I love Jordan Addison. I think he’s a guy that I care about tremendously and he knows that every guy in that locker room has his back,” said O’Connell. “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.”
Addison seems to have responded well to both the benching and the words from both O’Connell and Jefferson. Will that manifest positively for Addison down the line? Only time will tell.
