The Justin Jefferson Update Sounds … Great
Maybe it’s not doomsday after all.
Versus the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson was injured near the end of the game, hurting his hamstring and missing the contest’s final drive.
The Justin Jefferson Update Sounds … Great
Minnesota lost that game sans Jefferson down the stretch and won the following week, albeit in ugly, anti-Jeffersonian fashion.
And with that news, many speculated the Vikings could be doomed, especially after Jefferson hit injured reserve for four games. But head coach Kevin O’Connell provided a rather optimistic update about Jefferson’s recovery, seeming to suggest Jefferson is on track to return in early November.
“He’s doing really well. I know he feels maybe a lot better than he initially thought he would, just from an overall feeling standpoint,” O’Connell told The Rich Eisen Show on Friday.
Jefferson is the league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year and was firmly on track for 2,000 receiving yards before the hamstring incident. Without Jefferson, the Vikings are forced to lean on playmakers like Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and K.J. Osborn, among others. Too, second-year wide receiver Jalen Nailor is expected to return this week or next from his hamstring injury.
O’Connell added about Jefferson’s path back to the field, “But, it doesn’t surprise me, he’s one of the most gifted, special athletes I’ve ever been around.”
The O’Connell update is particularly encouraging, as the young head coach could’ve used more diplomatic lingo if Jefferson were on track for a more-than-four-games absence. He might’ve said, “We’ll see where he’s at in November,” or something to that effect if the progress stalled. That was not the case, though.
Minnesota also lost outside linebacker Marcus Davenport this week to a high ankle sprain, landing the defender on the shelf for at least four games. O’Connell mentioned Davenport could elect for a procedure on the bad ankle, which would probably prolong his absence more than four weeks.
Last week, O’Connell was asked if he expected Jeffersons’s injury to become a season-ender, and he replied, “I do not.”
“With hamstrings, I don’t want to speculate on exactly when it will be. But I know he feels pretty good considering where some guys feel at this point in the process, having been injured just this past Sunday,” O’Connell said on October 11th.
Now, the Vikings must keep the season afloat with Jefferson out. Minnesota is 2-4, with games against the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Atlanta Falcons on tap. If the purple team is 4-5 or 5-4 when Jefferson returns, the season could be salvageable.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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