Of course, there isn’t a week of the 2025 season that passes in Vikings land without some sort of drama or distraction to divert our attention. Week 15 is no different, especially as redshirt rookie JJ McCarthy gets set to make the seventh start of his NFL career.

Minnesota Vikings offense struggling to find its way on the field

At 5-8 on the season, Minnesota’s record tells the short story of 2025 pretty well. It’s been a struggle, especially on offense, as the team tries to expedite JJ McCarthy’s development on the fly. They’ve shuffled through three different quarterbacks, in the process, none of which are competent NFL starters at this point in their careers.

Not only has the Vikings’ QB incompetence on the field cost them wins in the regular season, and thus any hope they once had at being a 2025 playoff team, but it has individually affected the statistics of every player on on offense, most noticeably the receivers.

With 810 yards and 2 touchdowns on 64 receptions, through 13 games, Justin Jefferson is on pace for career-lows in just about every statistical category. He also hates losing, which is another reason why we’ve seen the superstar wideout pouting and throwing mild temper tantrums on the sideline all year.

Meanwhile, Adam Thielen — who the Vikings traded multiple middle round pick swaps for back in September — is no longer on the roster, because he wasn’t being utilized… like at all (8 REC, 69 YDS, 0 TD).

Don’t forget about our highly compensated tight end, TJ Hockenson — who’s been way more of a blocking threat in 2025, than he is a danger to catch the football (46 REC, 370 TDS, 3 TD). And Jordan Addison, he has been underwhelming (37 REC, 510 YDS, 3 TD), since returning from his three-game suspension to start the season too.

Jordan Addison’s DUI arrest still haunting MN Vikings

Speaking of Jordan Addison’s suspension, the original DUI arrest from July 12, 2024 it stemmed from found its way back into the news Thursday night, when the New York Post got ahold of the 23-year-old‘s body-cam arrest footage from that night.

It’s important to mention before you watch this video that, not only was Addison’s DWI charge eventually pleaded down to a “Wet Reckless”, but the Minnesota Vikings WR2 has already had his probation lifted early.

According to a statement from his attorney (via the NY Post), Jordan Addison is also in the process of getting his July 12, 2024 arrest completely expunged from his criminal record.

“Jordan fulfilled every one of his obligations on time and without exception, often going above and beyond what was required of him. Now that his probation has been formally terminated, we will be filing an expungement so he can fully move forward with his life.”

Jacqueline Sparagna – Jordan Addison’s Attorney (via NY Post)

Bodycam footage from the July 12, 2024 arrest of MN Vikings WR Jordan Addison has surfaced…

(video originally obtained by the @nypost) pic.twitter.com/Hcx1WBzEaa

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 12, 2025

Jordan Addison was not fully coherent before arrest

You can see in the video that Jordan Addison awakes at the wheel of his vehicle by a cop tapping on his door, while his car is stopped in the left-hand turn lane near LAX airport. You can hear the cop tell him he has been stopped there for 15 minutes, though that time is not official.

After asking Jordan a few questions — many of which the Vikings wideout doesn’t comprehend in the moment — then looking at his eyes, the cop has Addison step out of the car, before the two talk more.

Related: The Vikings Need to Call on Joe Burrow… Like Yesterday

A few times throughout the exchange, Addison is asked if he has been drinking, to which Jordan responds with the same answer — no. Obviously, the cop isn’t convinced so he administers a breathalyzer toward the end of the video.

We do not know what the results said, but the numbers were high enough for Jordan Addison to immediately be placed under arrest. The cash he had in his pocket, according to The Post, was $150 in $1 bills — not suspicious at all.

Of course, that wasn’t the case last season. The series of unfortunate off-field events last summer began when Khyree Jackson, who had been standing out during offseason workouts after being picked in the 4th round of the 2023 NFL Draft just months earlier, tragically died in a car accident that occured on 4th of July weekend.

Jordan Addison’s original plea: “Not Guilty”

Days later, 2023 1st round pick Jordan Addison was arrested on suspicion of DUI near LAX Airport in Los Angeles. Police reportedly found him asleep at the wheel of his white Rolls-Royce that was blocking the the number one lane of the freeway.

Addison’s arrest launched a full year of court proceedings that, early on, we originally thought were being strategically pushed back and delayed by Jordan, his council and the Minnesota Vikings, in order to make sure the No. 2 wide receiver would finish out the 2024 season without the NFL levying a suspension on him.

When everything started to move forward, however, Jordan Addison submitted a plea of “Not Guilty”, proving he and his team of attorneys were determined to fight the charges. He maintained his innocence throughout the pretrial process too, until the actual trial was set to start on Tuesday.

Jordan Addison pleads guilty to lesser “wet reckless” charge

Instead of moving ahead, onto jury selection etc, Addison’s courtroom appointment for Tuesday was taken off the schedule. In its place, another pretrial hearing was set for Thursday. Earlier this week, former practicing attorney, Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk.com) wondered if something might be up.

[Thursday’s new “pretrial hearing”] label is too broad to permit a reliable inference as to what it means. Some think there will be a plea deal that is formalized at the hearing. That’s possible, but “pretrial hearing” doesn’t convey that clearly.

The lingering employment problem for Addison continues to be this — any outcome that suggests responsibility will trigger a baseline suspension of three games without pay.

Mike Florio – ProFootballTalk.com

Related: Former MN Vikings Pro Bowler Kicked Off Delta Flight After Emergency Landing

And sure enough, Florio was proven right today when Jordan Addison’s attorney took to Twitter and announced that his client was pleading guilty, but not to the original “Driving Under the Influence” charges.

Instead, the 23-year-old former No. 23 overall pick is pleading guilty to a lesser “Reckless Driving” charge that assumes alcohol was involved. In California, the plead down charge is better known under its informal moniker, a “wet reckless”, which is what Younger & Associates used to make the new plea public on X.

Today , after careful consideration of the charges against him and all defenses, Jordan Addison decided to plead to a lesser included vehicular offense, commonly referred to as a “wet reckless.” As a result, Mr. Addison will pay a standard fine and complete two online courses…

— Younger & Associates/QB Limited/Tim Younger (@YoungerAssoc) July 17, 2025

A “wet reckless” is a negotiated plea. Specifically, “wet reckless” is the term given to a plea whereby the prosecutor originally charges a DUI (under Vehicle Code Section 23152), but later drops those charges in exchange for the defendant pleading guilty (or “no contest”) to a charge of reckless driving (under Vehicle Code Section 23103). The “wet” in “wet reckless” means that there is an acknowledgement that the reckless driving involved alcohol and/or other drugs. This disposition is authorized by Vehicle Code Section 23103.5.

You cannot be arrested for or charged with a “wet reckless”; it is not a stand-alone crime. It is exclusively a negotiated plea. Essentially, it is a disposition in between a reckless driving conviction and a DUI conviction. Think of it as a reduced-penalty DUI.

Now we wait for the NFL to rule on possible suspension for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver

This is a big win for Jordan Addison, outside of football. Sure, the reckless driving charge probably means it’ll cost him a lot of money to get into Canada for the next decade or so, but this plea deal means he will no longer have “DUI” on his driving record.

If more details come out on exactly what led to today’s plea, we will add it to this article. But on the football field, we do not know what this change will mean for a possible Jordan Addison suspension. As Florio noted earlier this week, the standard operating procedure for a DUI suspension is three games.

Related: Justin Jefferson Loses Top Spot in WR Rankings

Clearly, a “wet reckless” still has legally binding alcohol-related implications. Thus, the NFL would still be well within its right to suspend Addison, even after the plea deal. Will they? If they do indeed go through with a suspension, will it reach the three game standard, or will the league bring Addison’s punishment down as well?

We’ll soon find out.

But no organization in the league is more aware of just how crucial this stretch of time off is. It was only one year ago that, during July 4th weekend, Vikings recently drafted cornerback Khyree Jackson died in an early morning car accident caused by a drunk driver.

Then, just one week later, wide receiver Jordan Addison was found asleep at the wheel of his car (July 13) by California State Police, near LAX airport, where he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, when he registered a .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration when tested.

Given those circumstances, you have to think that staying safe and out of trouble between now and Minnesota Vikings training camp was a theme being heavily reinforced all week in Eagan, and for very good reason.

Jordan Addison preparing for newly scheduled Jury Trial Setting Conference for DUI case

But just in case Jordan Addison — who pleaded not-guilty to his DUI arrest charges in December — needed more reminding of his 2024 run in with the law, the 2023 1st round draft pick and his attorneys were sent back in time on Friday, when they set the date for his “jury trial setting conference” for Monday, June 16.

A jury trial setting conference is scheduled for Monday, for #Vikings receiver Jordan Addison’s case in Los Angeles. Addison has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from a July 12 arrest after he was found asleep at the wheel near LAX.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) June 13, 2025

In a jury trial setting conference — which is also known as either a pretrial or status conference — is a court hearing where judge and attorneys get together to discuss the case’s readiness for trial. The main goal of next week’s hearing, according to the Cron, Israels & Stark Law Firm out of California, is to determine if the case is ready to go to trial.

Related: Recently Cleared JJ McCarthy Claps Back at Arm Strength Criticism

The significance of the jury trial setting conference cannot be understated. Not only will Jordan Addison be in attendance, but if one of the two parties do not back down on Monday, then Jordan will walk out of the hearing with a trial date in-hand.

Why would Addison fight charges?

If Addison’s case does go to trial, it will become part of the rare 5% of DUI cases that make it to trial, according to the Vu Law Office, in California. Here are the top three reasons they list for the few times that DUI cases do actually wind up in trial. If found guilty, Addison will likely be suspended by the league for 1-3 games.

1. Disagreement in Resolution: The defense and prosecution cannot agree on a suitable plea deal. Either the prosecutor demands too much, or the defense believes they can secure a better outcome at trial.
2. Proof Issues: Sometimes the prosecution’s evidence may not be strong enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in light of DUI Defenses, leading the defense to challenge the accuracy of breath or blood tests, field sobriety tests, or officer conduct.
3. Defendant’s Decision: In some cases, the defendant insists on a trial, hoping the outcome will be in their favor, even when evidence suggests otherwise.

Over the course of Adrian Peterson’s 15-year career, he compiled 14,918 rushing yards and 120 touchdowns on 3,230 carries. 11,747 of those yards and 97 of his touchdowns came in a Vikings uniform. Both numbers are far and away the most in franchise history.

Related: The Minnesota Vikings Select… Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

Thus, it wasn’t surprising when AP showed up at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday night for the annual Minnesota Vikings draft party, where he sat next to radio voice of the Vikings, Paul Allen, and chopped it up over all things football.

NOW: All Day came to play! #Vikings legendary RB Adrian Peterson joins the broadcast!@iHeartRadio | @heatcool2
TUNE IN: https://t.co/f0Xt5Pbgog pic.twitter.com/5jGrpd2cD3

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) April 25, 2025

Adrian Peterson arrested on suspicion of DWI

Unfortunately, after a great night celebrating with the football fans who love him most, it appears — by this morning’s Hennepin County jail roster — that he did not make it all the way home or to his hotel, when the draft party ended.

Instead, according to public arrest records, Adrian Peterson was arrested Thursday on suspicion of 4th degree misdemeanor DWI, the lowest of all DWI charges, meant for first-time offenders with no aggravating factors.

NEW: Adrian Peterson has been booked into Hennepin County Jail on DWI this morning. pic.twitter.com/kU8zi03MCW

— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 25, 2025

According to his arrest details, Peterson was stopped by Minnesota State Patrol for expired license plate tabs. He was booked at 5:16 a.m. CDT and released a little over two hours later, at 7:31 a.m., after posting $4,000 bond. His court appearance is set for May 9.

Peterson’s ever-growing rap sheet

This isn’t Adrian Peterson’s first run in with the law. In July 2012, AP was charged for resisting arrest outside a Houston nightclub. In 2014, he was hit with his most infamous criminal charge, when he eventually plead no contest to “reckless assault” on his son.

In 2022, Peterson was arrested on domestic disturbance charges filed by his wife, which were eventually dropped. Then in the last couple years, AP’s money issues have caught up with him.

Related: Does $600K Lawsuit Against Adrian Peterson Reveal Deeper $$$ Problems?

He even had an warrant was issued for his arrest in Fort Bend County, TX, after a “misunderstanding regarding Adrian’s court appearances as it relates to child support”, according to his publicist at the time.

One decision does not make a man. But hopefully AP stops piling up these bad decisions pretty soon… before he pushes his luck too far.

Minnesota Vikings OC Wes Phillips arrested on DWI charges

Vikings OC Wes Phillips was arrested Friday night for misdemeanor DWI. He has since been released on bond. He'll accompany the team to Las Vegas. Full story to come.

Vikings statement below: pic.twitter.com/0LKEN1aHKs

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) December 9, 2023

Phillips was arrested at 11 PM last night and released before 1:30 AM Saturday morning. His charges are misdemeanor DWI and he posted an initial bond of $300 to be released.

Wes is the 44-year-old son of long-time defensive coordinator and NFL head coach, Wade Phillips. He’s been coaching in the NFL for 17 seasons. His start in the NFL came under his father’s Dallas Cowboys in 2007 when he was hired as a quality control assistant on offense.

Wes Phillips’ before coaching in NFL

Prior to his NFL coaching career, Wes Phillips (according to Wikipedia) graduated from UTEP with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. He spent most of his college years as a UTEP backup quarterback. He won the starting job as a senior, throwing for 1,839 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

After spending two years in the Arena Football developmental league (AF2) — which I didn’t know existed until writing this blog — with the San Diego Riptide, Wes finally gave up on his professional football dreams.

That’s when (I’m guessing) he realized a Philosophy degree wasn’t going to take him very far in life. So, he went back to UTEP and spent one year as a student assistant, before being hired in 2004 as West Texas A&M’s (D2) QB coach. After two years and a ton of offensive success in division II, Baylor hired him as their QB coach for the 2006 season.

NFL coaching career

Wes outlasted his dad in Dallas, climbing the Cowboys’ offensive coaching ranks, eventually reaching Tight Ends coach in 2013, the position he’d coach for nearly a decade before being named offensive coordinator in Minnesota under O’Connell.

After one season in his new role as Cowboys tight ends coach, Phillips joined Jay Gruden’s coaching staff in Washington, one that already included a budding Sean McVay. A few years after Wes’ arrival in DC, (2017) a young broad-shouldered QB coach named Kevin O’Connell was hired.

When McVay left the capital to become head coach of the LA Rams in 2019, KOC went along as his offensive coordinator and Wes made a lateral move to be the Rams’ TE coach. O’Connell was named head coach of the Vikings for the 2022 NFL season which he used to offered Wes Phillips his first promotion since 2013.

Initial research into Wes Phillips past did not reveal any sort of known drinking problems or run-ins with the law, prior to Friday night.