According to a report from Monday Night Football sideline reporter Melissa Stark, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is targeting next week’s Monday night game against the Bears to return.
On broadcast, Melissa Stark reports Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) said his goal is to play next week (MNF) but knows he has to be patient.
My interpretation: If he feels good and increases practice workload, there’s a good chance we see him Monday but he won’t force it
— Stephania Bell (@Stephania_ESPN) November 20, 2023
Jefferson has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since leaving the October 8th game against the Kansas City Chiefs with the injury. In Jefferson’s absence, the Vikings have won five straight games.
ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell tweeted that her interpretation of Jefferson’s stance is that he’ll be out on the field if he’s “feeling good and increases (his) practice workload”. That echos what Stark said on the sideline, where she highlighted Jefferson not having the conditioning to play a full game right now.
Getting Jefferson back in the fold would be a sizable boon for the Vikings offense. It will likely take some time for him to build a rapport with new quarterback Josh Dobbs, but the offense can be explosive with the combination of Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and safety valve T.J. Hockenson.
We’ll see how Jefferson progresses during the week, but it sounds like the wait for his return may be coming to an end shortly.
