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(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have that many options to dramatically improve this offseason, though one might be to trade wide receiver Jordan Addison in exchange for a high-value draft pick.
Minnesota selects No. 18 overall in Round 1. Addison has one year remaining on his rookie contract, plus a fifth-year option that will keep him cost-controlled through 2027.
The Vikings have gotten quality production out of Addison after selecting him No. 23 overall in 2023, and John Kosko Pro Football Focus identified him last week as the team’s top trade asset heading into this year’s NFL draft.
The Vikings don’t have many top-tier trade assets, but Addison stands out as a potential candidate. A former first-round pick, he has flashed early in his career but has yet to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season and struggled with drops in 2025.
The talent is evident, and a contending team in need of a WR2 or WR3 could benefit from his skill set. With Minnesota needing to add depth on defense, moving Addison could bring back valuable assets to help address those areas.
Kansas City Chiefs Prime Suitors for Vikings WR Jordan Addison
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison.
The Kansas City Chiefs clearly intend on reentering the playoff conversation immediately following their worst season in more than a decade in 2025, and a reliable wide receiver is high on the list of priorities.
Addison isn’t a No. 1 wideout, at least he hasn’t proven to be one yet, but he is a strong No. 2 and would be the best option in Kansas City aside from potentially Rashee Rice, who is dealing with more legal trouble that could result in more missed games next season.
Addison has off-field issues of his own, and those combined with his inability over his first three seasons to cross the border into true star territory probably remove the Chiefs’ No. 29 pick next month from the trade return equation.
However, the Chiefs also pick 40th overall in Round 2, which could make sense as a trade asset for Addison in both Minnesota and Kansas City.
Vikings, Chiefs Can Both Benefit From Jordan Addison Trade
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Vikings would add the 40th selection alongside pick Nos. 18, 49, 82 and 97. Minnesota can use one of those selections on a rookie to replace Addison inexpensively over the next four seasons, and that player should look even better alongside Justin Jefferson considering all the attention he commands from opposing defenses.
Minnesota could also bolster its struggling secondary by adding a safety and a cornerback, while beefing up the defensive front after cutting ties with both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave after one season.
And if the Vikings need another wideout, veteran options like DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. are available in free agency on high-value contracts.
The Chiefs would get a legitimate target for QB Patrick Mahomes who can step in and make a meaningful impact immediately, and Addison may show he has more to give after stepping out of Jefferson’s shadow.
Addison would cost Kansas City just $2.6 million in 2026, with an $18 million team option in 2027, which is well under half of the top market contract that Jaxon Smith-Njigba just signed with the Seattle Seahawks ($42.15 million annually).
The Chiefs would still hold pick Nos. 9 and 29 in Round 1, which they can use to fill two of their other top-three needs at pass-rusher, cornerback and offensive tackle.
Hitting on those two first-rounders, plus trading for Addison and the work Kansas City did in free agency, should have the team competitive again as soon as Mahomes returns from the torn ACL he suffered late last season.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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