Who will step up for the Vikings in Jordan Addison’s three-game absence?

The Minnesota Vikings will be without their star wide receiver Jordan Addison for the first three games of the 2025 regular season due to a suspension for violating the league’s Substances of Abuse Policy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

With this news, new quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the rest of the Vikings’ organization will be looking for new pass catchers to set themselves apart through the rest of training camp and the preseason.

According to Schefter, Addison will be permitted to participate in all training camp activities, including preseason games, without restriction.

Justin Jefferson will still be available, but everything else, including the No. 2 receiver spot after him to begin the year, is somewhat up in the air at this point.

Minnesota’s third-leading receiver after Jefferson and Addison in 2024 was Jalen Nailor, who totaled 414 yards and still remains on the roster.

The 26-year-old is coming off a career year last season, but would be taking on the new challenge of facing off against opposing teams’ second-best corners in Addison’s absence.

Third-round rookie Tai Felton should be in for a larger role to begin the season as well. The 22-year-old proved to have success being a main target during his last year of college, finishing the 2024 season with 1,124 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Rondale Moore is another name who could see the field a good amount through the first three weeks. The former second-round pick was sidelined all of the 2024 season, but had three years of 350 or more receiving yards to begin his career.

Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson’s roles will also become more substantial in the passing game, with each finishing 2024 with over 400 receiving yards.

The loss of Addison will be substantial not only in the Vikings’ wide receiver room, but also to McCarthy and the rest of the quarterbacks. Losing a consistent playmaker like Addison for three games will make it harder for the young quarterback to get used to the NFL.

After two seasons of 875 yards or more for Addison, defenses were forced to respect him a great deal alongside Jefferson, who will now likely see more double-teams and overall attention through the first three weeks.

Minnesota’s first three games of the regular season are at the Chicago Bears, home against the Atlanta Falcons and home against the Cincinnati Bengals. Addison’s suspension will be over for Week 4 when the Vikings travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers.