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Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison active for game against Packers

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·2 min read

Initially, there was concern from the Vikings that rookie receiver Jordan Addison might not be able to suit up against the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve. He suffered an ankle injury last weekend in a 30-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve and was a limited participant in practice this week.

In the end, Addison progressed enough to be active in the primetime game at U.S. Bank Stadium, perhaps knowing the Vikings needed a win to keep their playoffs hopes alive. Not only did his presence provide the offense with another weapon for rookie quarterback Jaren Hall, it also opened up other areas of the field for star receiver Justin Jefferson.

It’s been a solid campaign for Addison since the Vikings selected him with the No. 23 pick in the draft. He impressed from the onset in training camp, carving out a niche for himself in the offense, and piling up 63 catches for 826 yards and nine touchdowns heading into the game between the Vikings and Packers.

Asked earlier this season about his personal goals, Addison noted that he wanted to reach 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. That’s very much within reach for him as he prepares for the home stretch.

Blackmon ready to go

After being a limited participant in practice this week, rookie cornerback Mekhi Blackmon played through a shoulder injury on New Year’s Eve. That was a major boost for the Vikings in the secondary considering veteran cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. missed the game against the Packers with a knee injury.

Though he has had some ups and downs this season, Blackmon has used his aggressive style to slowly gain the trust of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. As a result, Blackmon entered the game between the Vikings and Packers with 30 tackles and an interception to his name.

Dobbs is emergency quarterback

Though the Vikings decided to bench veteran quarterback Nick Mullens this week, they still went into the game against the Packers with him as their backup. That meant journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs was once again inactive for the Vikings, only available for emergency purposes if Hall and Mullens both got injured.

The fall from grace for Dobbs has been notable as he led the Vikings to a 31-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons and a 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints this season before rapidly regressing to the mean. After struggling under center in a 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos and a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, he was benched midway through a 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

That signaled the end of the Josh Dobbs era.

Briefly

The inactives for the Vikings aside from Murphy and Dobbs included safety Theo Jackson, defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, receiver Jalen Nailor, left guard Chris Reed and right tackle Hakeem Adeniji.

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