Justin Jefferson Begins His Road to Return for the Vikings
Four weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings put star wide receiver Justin Jefferson on IR, meaning he would miss at least four games due to a hamstring injury.
Many considered that to be the final nail in the coffin for a lost Vikings season seeing as they were 1-4 at the time.
Instead, the Vikings have rattled off four straight wins without their superstar and have worked themselves all the way back into the playoff picture. Now, Jefferson begins his road to return as the Vikings opened his 21-day practice window.
Justin Jefferson Begins His Road to Return
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news on Wednesday, tweeting, “The practice window for #Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson is being opened this week, sources say, as he now has 21 days to be activated. This does not mean he’ll play this week. But he’s on his way back from the hamstring injury that landed him on Injured Reserve.”
As Rapoport suggests, this certainly doesn’t mean that Jefferson will play this weekend against the Saints. However, it does mean that the star is getting very close and could make a return in Week 11 or 12.
Prior to his injury, Jefferson was once again on an outstanding pace through his fourth NFL season. In five games, he caught 36 receptions for 571 yards and 3 TDs. At the time, he was sixth in receptions, third in receiving yards, and tied for fifth in receiving TDs despite missing much of the second half against Kansas City.
During his absence, the Vikings have done a great job of getting other players involved, namely rookie receiver Jordan Addison. In the four games that Jefferson has missed, Addison has totaled borderline WR1-esque numbers by piling up 22 receptions for 285 yards and 4 TDs.
K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell have also stepped up by making big plays in timely moments while T.J. Hockenson is back to looking like the 2022 version of himself.
Regardless, it will be great for the Vikings to get their true WR1 back in the lineup. The attention that will be given to Jefferson only opens up more opportunities for Addison to make more plays, and hopefully, the Vikings can find a way to continue spreading the ball out with the presence of their superstar.
In the end, though, the Vikings should remain cautious with Jefferson. He is a vital part of their offense and rushing him back too soon could do more harm than good for his long-term trajectory. If Minnesota is going to make a playoff push, they will need him for their final tests of the season against Cincinnati, Detroit (twice), and Green Bay.
The Vikings likely have at least one more game without Jefferson in the lineup as they take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, November 12th inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.