There has been some chatter online recently about the Minnesota Vikings potentially sending wide receiver Jordan Addison to the New York Jets in a trade for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
It’s only speculation at this point, but if the Vikings believe Gardner is the type of player who could help them reach their ultimate goal, then it’s a deal they should at least explore this offseason.
Gardner has been in the NFL since the 2022 season, and he’s still only 24-years-old. He’s one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and Minnesota adding him to its roster could potentially help them become the best defense in the entire NFL next season.
Grade the Trade Proposal: Minnesota Vikings send Jordan Addison to New York Jets in exchange for Sauce Gardner
Given his age and how well he has already played in his NFL career so far, one should expect the Jets not to even consider a trade involving Gardner unless they receive at least one first-round draft pick in return.
Since the Vikings are including Addison in this trade proposal, they are able to keep this year’s first-round selection. However, Minnesota does end up including their 2026 first-round pick in order to complete the deal.
Some might be wondering why the Vikings should even consider moving on from Addison after just two seasons with the team.
Well, despite his solid play on the field, he’s found himself in some trouble off of the field during the last two years (including one incident that’s expected to result in a suspension at the start of next season), and he’s eventually going to want to get paid in the near future if he continues to play at a high level.
With Minnesota already paying All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson a massive amount of money, the team likely won’t want to have two wide receivers making more than $25 million per season (assuming that’s the type of money Addison will be looking for), and if J.J. McCarthy turns out to be the team’s next franchise quarterback, they’re eventually going to need money to give him a lucrative extension.
So, instead of potentially letting Addison walk in a few years and receiving nothing in return for his exit, the Vikings can just send him to New York and land Gardner instead.
In addition to giving up next year’s first-round draft pick, Minnesota will probably need to give Gardner a big-time extension in the near future. He will likely want to be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, but with the potential to remain with the franchise for the next decade, it shouldn’t be hard to convince the Vikings to give him the contract he desires.
So, what do we think of the deal? Did Minnesota give up too much, or might it take even more in order for them to acquire Gardner from the Jets?
