Vikings Offer Good and Bad News on Justin Jefferson’s Health

Vikings Offer Good and Bad News on Justin Jefferson’s Health

Among the most impressive elements of the Minnesota Vikings‘ four-game win streak is that it has happened entirely without the help of their best player — wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson left the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on October 8 with a hamstring strain and ended up on IR, a designation that requires a player to remain inactive for at least four weeks. That time period ended after Sunday’s comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons, opening up the possibility for Jefferson to return to the roster.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to Jefferson’s status on Monday, offering both good and bad news on his situation.

“It’s possible we will open up his (21-day) window on Wednesday,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says about WR Justin Jefferson.

Talking about a practice window as Jefferson is eligible to return from IR this week would indicate Vikes aren’t expecting JJ to play Sunday vs Saints

“‘It’s possible we will open up his (21-day) window on Wednesday,’ Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says about WR Justin Jefferson,” Jonathan Jones of CBS wrote on X. “Talking about a practice window as Jefferson is eligible to return from IR this week would indicate Vikes aren’t expecting JJ to play Sunday vs. Saints.”

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is eligible to return to the active roster after a four-week stint on IR.

Doctors initially said Jefferson’s injury would keep him out 4-6 weeks, and Jones’ report that the wideout is unlikely to play this weekend against New Orleans tracks with that timeline. O’Connell was adamant that Minnesota would not rush its All-Pro back from injury, which he added might necessitate protecting Jefferson from himself.

The Vikings’ success since Jefferson’s injury has ensured the team won’t rush him back because it has been able to win without him, even in the absence of quarterback Kirk Cousins. New starter Josh Dobbs came in Sunday against Atlanta with extremely limited knowledge of the playbook and no experience with his center or wide receivers, yet was still able to lead Minnesota on a game-clinching drive that ended with a touchdown and just 22 seconds remaining on the clock.

Dobbs’ performance bodes incredibly well for the Vikings, who have a reasonable schedule ahead that includes contests against the Denver Broncos (3-5), Chicago Bears (2-7) and Las Vegas Raiders (4-5) following their next matchup against the Saints (5-4). Jefferson’s return, when it happens, will bolster Minnesota’s chances at a playoff run even more. The wideout was leading the NFL with 543 receiving yards entering Week 5 and gained 28 more against the Chiefs before the hamstring injury knocked him out.

While the playoffs are now a realistic possibility for the Vikings, Jefferson has other incentives to return as well. Namely, he is eligible for a contract extension and is expected to sign the richest deal for a wide receiver in NFL history.

Minnesota and Jefferson negotiated toward a new deal last offseason, though never reached an agreement. The Vikings are in the middle of turning over what was an expensive and veteran-laden roster as the organization moves to a younger and sleeker personnel model. There are some exceptions, however.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson was the most recent exception, signing a historic four-year, $66 million deal that has the potential to be the richest in history for his position with incentives. Jefferson figures to be another exception, with Spotrac projecting his market value at $29.3 million annually over a new four-year contract.

Max Dible covers the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Golden State Warriors for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy.