Jordan Addison's 'Free 3' explained: Vikings WR squashes trade rumors

With a recent social media post, Minnesota Vikings second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison sparked trade rumors before the deadline.

On Saturday morning, following the Viking's 30-20 loss to the Rams on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 8, Addison posted a photo on social media of his No. 3 jersey with the caption "Free 3".

This post led to widespread speculation that the 22-year-old wanted to be traded. Here's the latest on Jordan Addison's trade rumors.

Jordan Addison 'Free 3'

Addison spoke to reporters on the following Monday to try and clarify his message.

"People just try to make something out of anything. It ain't nothing," Addison said. "I think I came up with that in 2020 fall camp at Pittsburgh. So that's where that started. People got to do their homework before they start saying stuff."

The post was discussed on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco's 'Nightcap' podcast, which led to Addison posting a screenshot of an Instagram post from his college days with the same "Free 3" caption.

Addison wore a "FR3E" chain to the NFL draft in 2023.

So, in summation: Jordan Addison does not want to be traded. Some NFL fans were hopeful the former first-round pick would be available on the trade market, but those rumors have been addressed and squashed by the wideout himself.

Jordan Addison stats

In his rookie season, Addison finished with 70 receptions on 108 targets for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This season, he has just 14 receptions on 123 targets for 231 yards and one touchdown entering Week 9. He suffered an ankle sprain in Week 1 and has seen a significant dip in production to this point.

With Justin Jefferson healthy and T.J. Hockenson set to make his season debut in Week 9, there may be even fewer targets available for Addison.

Minnesota's offense ranks dead last in pass attempts per game, another factor in the dropoff in production for the second-year wideout.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings' Jordan Addison clarifies 'Free 3' post, trade rumors