The Vikings Must Send A Message With Jordan Addison
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
On Friday night, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The California Highway Patrol found him asleep at the wheel of his car, which was blocking a lane of I-105 westbound. No one appears to have been harmed in the incident. Addison was lucky.
Khyree Jackson, who died as a passenger in a car accident last week, wasn’t lucky. The Vikings rookie cornerback with so much personality and promise had his life snuffed out in a crash where alcohol was believed to be a factor. Minnesota is still reeling from his loss.
DUI is a serious offense, no matter the timing. It’s unacceptable from anyone, and frankly, unfathomable from someone with the resources afforded to them by the NFL. With Jackson’s loss hitting so close to home, though, the Vikings need to take this matter even more seriously.
The Vikings also have to take Addison’s driving history into account. Just one year ago, Addison was cited and charged with reckless driving for driving 140 mph, 85 mph above the speed limit. Addison apologized for the incident, which he claimed was prompted by driving his dog to emergency care, and pled guilty to a misdemeanor speeding charge, for which he paid $686. The Vikings elected to not discipline Addison, and alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the incident.
Two incidents in two summers indicate a pattern, one that can not continue for the safety of Addison and those who share the road with him. If “suspicion of DUI” turns into “charged with DUI,” the question shouldn’t be whether the Vikings suspend Addison. It has to be how long of a suspension is necessary to send the right message.
Right or wrong, it feels safe to assume the organization won’t want to cut ties with the player who was a top rookie for them last season. Assuming that’s correct, the Vikings need to send a strong enough message to get through to Addison. Last summer’s driving incident didn’t appear to get through to him. A teammate dying in a possible DUI crash five days prior didn’t appear get through to him. What will?
The Vikings have to figure it out, for the sake of everyone involved. The suspension levied against Addison has to get his attention. They have to stress to Addison that the organization will not accept another DUI violation or similarly reckless driving incident, or his career with the Vikings will be over.
Getting through to Addison should be a priority, but not the only one. The way the Vikings handle Addison’s situation in the wake of Jackson’s death needs to set the tone for the entire organization. The message to the team has to be We’re not losing someone else to drunk driving if it’s at all in our power, and we won’t tolerate it from our players and staff. Whatever resources are in place for the team to get their members home safely when intoxicated have to be stressed, or perhaps even strengthened.
Taking a harsh stance against DUI in the wake of Jackson’s death is the right thing to do, but beyond that, it’s basic public relations. The organization can’t lose someone to possible drunk driving and then be lenient to a member of their organization who drives under the influence. If the Vikings don’t send a sufficiently strong message, the next time a member of the organization (or Addison) is arrested for DUI, the team will look awful. Especially if someone is harmed or killed.
The Vikings have to do everything they can to demonstrate that they are taking DUI seriously. If that means winning fewer football games this year, so be it. Not properly handling this situation in a way that sets the tone for the organization’s handling of DUI going forward risks insulting Jackson’s memory.
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