Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
About an hour and a half after Justin Jefferson scored the second-longest touchdown in Minnesota Vikings history, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner slammed into his thigh and basically inflicted the phenom playmaker with a vicious Charley horse.
Jefferson missed the rest of the game while his team held on for a victory, 23-17.
And on the Tuesday after the injury, Jefferson’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell, sounded rather optimistic about his chances of playing in Week 3, a battle of undefeateds at U.S. Bank Stadium between the Vikings and Houston Texans.
“He’s doing well, though. He is doing really well, and he has responded really well to treatment early on, and we will see how his week kind of progresses,” O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Tuesday.
The Texans have never beaten the Vikings, losing five straight matchups since Houston’s inception 22 years ago.
O’Connell added about the LSU rivalry between Jefferson and Texans corner Derek Stingley Jr. “I wouldn’t discount the Stingley aspect of it, either. Those two, the LSU side of things. He’s becoming one of the premier cornerbacks in the league.”
Following Minnesota’s triumph over San Francisco in Week 2, Jefferson didn’t sound fazed at all by the quad contusion. “I’m not seriously injured,” Jefferson told reporters late Sunday afternoon. “That’s the main important thing. So, it’s just all about getting to the training room, making sure my body is right for next week, and I’ll be ready to go next Sunday.”
Jefferson finished Sunday with 4 receptions for 133 yards and the mammoth 97-yard touchdown that will grace Vikings highlight reels for years, if not decades, to come. Quarterback Sam Darnold wound up in his own endzone and launched the rock to Jefferson right past midfield on Sunday, and Jefferson, plus his teammate Jalen Nailor, took care of the rest. His 97-yard touchdown from Sam Darnold was the second-longest in franchise history, only trailing Gus Frerotte to Bernard Berrian in 2008, which was 99 yards.
Vikings fans are also on Jordan Addison Watch after the second-year wideout missed last weekend’s game with an ankle injury. Soon after Vikings-49ers, folks began pondering a Jefferson-less and Addison-less offense in Week 3, and naturally, the thought made some shudder.
However, Jefferson should be ready for Week 3, barring a sudden walkback from O’Connell. Jefferson said personally he avoided major injury, and it might be a little odd if he sat out this weekend.
The Vikings will announce an official injury designation for the 25-year-old on Friday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.