Just weeks ahead of training camp, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after officers reportedly found him asleep at the wheel near LAX.
Now, he has officially been charged with two misdemeanors, including driving under the influence of alcohol. Will the Vikings WR be suspended by the NFL?
Vikings WR Jordan Addison Charged With DUI
According to authorities, the Los Angeles Communications Center notified the California Highway Patrol of a disabled vehicle blocking lanes on Friday night at roughly 11:06 p.m. on July 12. Officers found Addison asleep behind the wheel of his white Rolls-Royce. He was then arrested at 11:36 following completion of a DUI investigation.
On July 31, Addison was officially charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol content over the legal limit in California (.08 percent), according to the Star Tribune.
Addison will appear in court on Oct. 7 to be arraigned and enter his plea.
“If he is convicted or pleads guilty, he could face up to six months in jail, pay fines up to $2,000, or lose his driver’s license for up to six months,” the Star Tribune notes.
From the piece in the @ladailynews:
“Officers responding to the area reported a white Rolls-Royce blocking the number one lane of the freeway “with the driver asleep behind the wheel,” according to the CHP.”
Not good… https://t.co/d5IuyhuyVR
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 14, 2024
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell recently spoke about Addison’s arrest.
“We’re disappointed in Jordan. We care about these players. We really do, and we want to make sure we’re doing our part for the development on the field,” O’Connell said. “The other aspect of that is the off-the-field and the life skills and the development of decision making and learning how important it is within our culture that we’re very proud of, that our players understand personal responsibility and accountability.
“You wrap your arms around these guys, and you ensure that they know that we care. But at the same time, they have to hear those messages and they have to understand things that are not going to be acceptable by any stretch, and we’ve got to continue [utilizing] the resources we do have as an organization.
“How Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah] and I have really tried to build our locker room and our team, I think it’s really important that the discipline side of things is an accountability — personal responsibility. Those are things we will talk about, and I will personally talk about with Jordan, but at the same time there’s going to be a continuing legal process playing out in the NFL.”
This isn’t the first time Addison has been involved in a driving-related incident, as he was also pulled over on July 20, 2023, in a Lamborghini Urus with dealer license plates and received a citation for speeding and reckless driving prior to his first training camp. He later said he was driving 140 mph because his dog was having an emergency.
Following the first incident, Addison released a public apology.
“Yesterday morning, I made a mistake and used poor judgment. I recognize and own that. I am going to learn from this and not repeat the behavior. I am truly sorry,” Addison said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
What makes Addison’s arrest even more shocking is the fact that it occurred just a week after his rookie teammate Khyree Jackson was allegedly killed by a drunk driver in Maryland.
Will Addison Be Suspended?
In Addison’s first go-around with the law, he was not suspended under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. However, that situation was very different because he was not arrested. After pleading guilty to speeding, he paid $686 in fees while the reckless driving charge was dismissed.
In this case, though, he was arrested and now faces two DUI charges. The NFL’s substance abuse policy states that if a player is “convicted of or admitted to a violation of the law relating to the use of alcohol,” then “discipline for a first offense will be a suspension without pay for three games.”
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Addison recently stated that he will “learn to make better decisions,” and “own up … to whatever disciplinary actions that come my way.” He added: “I own up to everything. I feel anything that comes my way was meant to happen or is deserved.”
When asked about Addison potentially being suspended, O’Connell stated: “With most of these situations around the league, it’s normally an NFL player conduct thing where a process plays out over a period of time. The legal process is still playing out, as well, so we’ll let those things happen and work off that accordingly.”
Jordan Addison removed all #Vikings related pictures of himself from his Instagram: pic.twitter.com/wKNKD9ekAn
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 15, 2024
It’s worth noting that the Vikings recently suspended offensive coordinator Wes Phillips for several weeks after he was also charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence stemming from a December 2023 traffic stop. His suspension began on April 2, and he returned to work on April 23.
In Phillips’ case, police said he showed signs of impairment and registered a blood alcohol content of .10 percent, which was over the legal limit of .08 percent. While Addison’s blood alcohol content has yet to be reported, we know he was also over the legal limit.
As a rookie with Minnesota, Addison totaled 70 receptions, 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns.