Minnesota Vikings players continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested over the weekend in California on suspicion of driving under the influence after police found him asleep at the wheel. According to the police report, a West Los Angeles police officer found a white Rolls Royce blocking a lane of traffic on I-105-westbound near the Los Angeles International Airport. When an officer approached the vehicle, he found the driver, later identified as Addison, asleep behind the wheel. He was arrested at 11:36 p.m. and released from custody two hours later after being booked.
Police did not release Addison’s blood alcohol concentration, but it is believed to be above the 0.08 legal limit. The team issued a statement after learning of Addison’s arrest, saying “We are aware of Jordan Addison’s arrest this past Friday and are currently gathering more information regarding the incident.”
Suspected Punishment For Jordan Addison
This isn’t the first time that Addison has run afoul with police since entering the league. Last summer we blogged about an incident where he was caught driving 140 mph in Minnesota, and he eventually accepted a plea deal in order to see the original reckless driving charges dropped. In that blog, we said that we hoped that Addison learns from his mistake and makes some changes in his life, but it’s clear that he still doesn’t get it. That fact becomes only more evident when we see that he posted what appeared to be a mimosa-styled beverage on his Instagram after being released following his DUI arrest.
The arrest also takes a darker turn when we note that it comes just five days after Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was killed in an automobile accident in Maryland, and although there have been no formal announcements, Maryland State Police investigators believe alcohol might have been involved (Jackson was not driving at the time of the crash).
Given the stakes, it seems likely that Addison will face some sort of punishment from the NFL on top of anything related to the criminal matter. If convicted, he will face the possibility of fines, the loss of his driving privileges and the potential of jail time, but a suspension from the league also has to be on the table. It’s also possible that the Vikings will take action, although that will not stop the league from moving forward with punishments. The Vikings suspended defensive coordinator Wes Phillips for three weeks after he accepted a plea deal in his DUI case, although that suspension was served outside of the traditional NFL season. We would not be surprised if Addison was suspended by the team or the league for a couple weeks to start the season.
We’ll say it again – hopefully Addison learns from the situation and gets the help he needs to make better choices in life. Only a select few make it to the NFL, and it would be a shame to throw it all away because of poor choices.
If you or someone you know needs legal help in the greater Twin Cities area, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
