Best Jordan Addison trade destination may not be the homecoming he wants

The Minnesota Vikings have lost two straight after their Thursday night letdown against the Los Angeles Rams. There's still plenty to be optimistic about at 5-2, but it would appear that Minnesota is starting to come apart at the seams. Kevin O'Connell is tasked with salvaging the situation and getting his group back on track.

Perhaps the most notable postgame storyline was an Instagram post from second-year wideout Jordan Addison, who finished the game with two receptions for 22 yards. He did not seem pleased with his usage.

Most NFL social media scandals are fruitless, but this is a fairly obvious shot at the organization. Whether he's upset with Sam Darnold or the coaching staff is unclear, but Addison wants a more robust role and he made the classic mistake of voicing his complaints publicly, rather than keeping them in-house.

Now the Vikings have a hot-button issue to deal with. Addison will probably come into practice this week and apologize, or speak very politically, but you don't post "free 3" on your IG without feeling a certain type of way. Does Addison want a trade, or does he just want more targets? And if Minnesota cannot accomodate the latter, does that lead to the former? Those are the questions circling the Vikings right now.

Addison is still a valuable asset at 22 years old, on the heels of a 10-touchdown rookie campaign. If there's one contender with an especially pressing need at wide receiver it's the Pittsburgh Steelers. That is a great fit for Addison on paper, but there's a catch.

Jordan Addison could get homecoming with Steelers, but not everybody would be happy

Addison famously began his college career with the Pittsburgh Panthers, who courted him as a three-star recruit from Maryland. Addison put together two productive seasons at Pitt before transferring to USC, leaving the gritty, blue-collar vibes of PGH behind for the pizzazz of Hollywood.

That did not sit right with Pitt fans, especially after their head coach accused USC of tampering and using NIL money to lure Addison to the opposite coastline. Even as recently as 2021, the NIL landscape was vastly different. Those were contentious times and many around Pitt felt that Addison left for money and fame, which... he did, of course. You don't leave Pitt for USC to earn more reps. You do it to play in Los Angeles, for a true powerhouse program.

Addison has maintained his love for Pittsburgh. He viewed the whole situation as a lesson learned.

“I feel like I don’t have any regrets," Addison said (h/t Sports Illustrated). "Anything I do, I always live and learn from it. I learned a lot from it, so I don’t ever have any regrets. I always think everything through, all my decisions.”

If Addison lands with the Steelers and takes that offense to the next level, fans ought to develop a short memory. As much as the Panthers are celebrated in that community, the Steelers are priority No. 1 in the football realm. That said, don't be shocked if some Pittsburgh fans are still salty about Addison's controversial transfer. It's not as simple as forgive and forget.