The Minnesota Vikings have one of the younger offenses in the league. They also have one of the most confident, as Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison recently challenged a Giants fan on Instagram to “bet” him over the winner of the Week 1 showdown between the teams.
When challenged that the Vikings were going to lose in Week 1, Addison replied.
“How much you wan bet,” he posted.
The competitive talk heightens the stakes for an already electric week on the NFL calendar.
Week 1 serves as one of the most highly emotionally charged weeks of the season. Between Thursday and Monday in early September every year, fans watch their teams for the first time in seven to nine months. Of course, as the game is just one week of a 17-game season, one team’s year is far from done or won depending on the result of the contest.
However, the energy level of fans and players is often disproportionate to any other single week on the calendar outside of the playoffs.
Addison’s actions may have been a big mistake for a few reasons. First, it potentially serves as bulletin board material for the Giants players. Second, it serves as bulletin board material for Giants fans, who can descend on the wide receiver on social media like a pack of hyenas.
And, most importantly…
Jordan Addison’s bet invitation treads on thin ice
Thirdly, and potentially most damaging to Addison’s future, using the “b” word as an NFL player in proximity to any league game is dangerous. With the story beginning to spread, the NFL has every reason to focus on the wide receiver. Betting on NFL games is strictly forbidden and any mentioning of a wager sets off red flags for the league.
Of course, the statement was likely made in good (or competitive) fun. However, it may lead the NFL to believe that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. This could lead to bigger problems later down the line for Addison, thanks to the added attention from this likely innocent conversation with a fan.
Put simply, Addison must be careful.
At this point, winning in Week 1 is paramount for Addison to avoid any blowback from fans. Not mentioning any more betting is paramount to avoid any potential NFL blowback. W
Will Jordan Addison avoid trouble with his potential mistake?
