Jordan Addison’s Post With Bears QB Caleb Williams Draws J.J. McCarthy Speculation

A day after the Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their mandatory minicamp on June 12, wide receiver Jordan Addison took to Instagram to share some photos.

The very first image he shared was one featuring himself hugging current Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, taken at the end of a 2024 regular season game. It didn’t take long for fans to comment on one player who was noticeably absent from Addison’s cluster of pics: his own QB, J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings second-year quarterback has been fully cleared to play by the team’s medical staff after missing his entire rookie campaign after suffering a significant meniscus injury, and his absence in Addison’s photo montage felt jarring to some fans.

“One camp with McCarthy and bro is missing Caleb,” one fan responded.

“No pic with J.J., is bro tryna tell us McCarthy is not him?” another wondered.

Not to be outdone, some Bears fans also weighed in: “U wanna be a bear don’t u,” one wrote.

More on Caleb Williams Being Featured in Jordan Addison’s Instagram Post

Addison also shared images of himself and other Vikings teammates in his slew of pics, but it was the presence of Williams coupled with the absence of McCarthy that seemed to catch peoples’ attention.

For his part, Williams responded by “liking” the post and sharing the photo of himself and Addison in his own Instagram story.

Addison and Williams were college teammates at USC, and they remain close. Addison’s collegiate career began at the University of Pittsburgh, where he had a standout 2021 campaign that saw him finish with 100 catches for 1,593 yards and 17 TDs. He led the NCAA in receiving touchdowns that year, also earning the prestigious Fred Biletnikoff Award and consensus All-American honors.

In 2022, Addison entered the transfer portal and chose USC, where he quickly became Williams’s primary target. Addison finished with 59 receptions for 875 yards and 8 touchdowns that year.

Addison spoke highly of playing with Williams in a March 2023 interview on “The Jim Rome Show,” noting Williams has keen playmaking instincts.

“Real fun. Real Exciting, can’t give up on no plays,” Addison said about Williams. “You know, just having him in our backfield, knowing that he could extend the play at any given moment is just you know that a big play could come at any time.”

Addison Entering Year 3 With Vikings

GettyWide receiver Jordan Addison got the attention of Minnesota Vikings by including Caleb Williams in his social media post — and not J.J. McCarthy.

Selected 23rd overall by the Vikings in the 2023 NFL Draft, Addison immediately made his presence felt as a rookie. He appeared in 17 games (starting 14) and accumulated 911 yards on 70 catches, hauling in an impressive 10 touchdowns.

His rookie season was historically significant, as he became the 13th rookie in NFL history (and only the fifth since 2000) to record 900+ receiving yards and double-digit TDs. He also tied for most receiving TDs among rookies, snagging five touchdowns of 35+ yards (the second-most in the NFL that year).

In his second season, Addison played in 15 games, hauling in 63 passes for 875 yards and nine scores, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. Now entering Year 3, it’s fair to expect his first 1,000-yard campaign.

He’ll need to vibe well with McCarthy for that to happen, though, so we’ll see how well they look together once things really get rolling.