NFL legend Shannon Sharpe has criticised one of the Minnesota Vikings’ receivers over a controversial social media post.
Sharpe is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the league so he knows a thing or two about catching the football.
And he did not hold back with his words for a Vikings receiver who is seemingly unhappy with his involvement in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
The Minnesota Vikings lost their second consecutive game on Thursday night after going 5-0 to start the 2024 NFL season.
They lost 30-20 to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams despite Sam Darnold throwing for 240 yards and two touchdown passes.
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison later posted an Instagram story with the caption ‘free 3’.
Most people assumed this was a cryptic message suggesting he was disappointed with his lack of involvement in the game and throughout the season.
Shannon Sharpe took exception to the post and pointed to Addison’s teammate, Justin Jefferson, as the reason he does not get many targets.
“Bro, Sit down, you’re not Jerry Rice, you’re not Randy [Moss],” he said on Nightcap. “Now, if you were one of those guys, if you were Tyreek [Hill], if you were [Ja’Marr] Chase, one of those top five guys.
“He’s a number two. I don’t know what he could be somewhere else. I know what he is in Minnesota. I’m just being real.
“He’s part of [the offense]. They give him like six targets a game. How many targets do you think you’re going to get when you’ve got a guy like [Justin Jefferson], who has more receiving yards and more catches in this time frame than any other receiver in history?”
Jordan Addison vs Justin Jefferson 2024 stats
Justin Jefferson is probably the best wideout in football. He has 646 receiving yards and five TDs in seven games this season.
So, Sharpe is right that Jefferson is the focal point of the offense and deserves to be targeted far more than any other player on the roster.
But Addison also has reason to be annoyed. He has just 231 yards and 1 TD in five games in 2024.
He is averaging 46.2 receiving yards from 4.6 targets per game this season compared to 53.6 yards from 6.4 targets per game last year.
