Report: Justin Jefferson transported to hospital after chest injury

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was ruled out with a chest injury and transported to a local hospital out of precaution, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Prior to Jefferson’s injury, he logged two catches for 27 yards. It was his first action since coming off injured reserve.

Jefferson exited in a scoreless game and the game remained that way against the Las Vegas Raiders with 6:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Jefferson’s return from IR came after he’s been out since October 8 with a nagging hamstring injury. With the Vikings in the thick of the NFC playoff race, it was the proper time to have him come back.

His return was initially a boost for quarterback Joshua Dobbs, whom the Vikings traded for after the season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins.

Adding in his stat line Sunday, Jefferson has 36 catches for 571 yards, three touchdowns and 15.9 yards per catch. So, he’s his usual productive self. Unfortunately, the injury sidelined him for two months.

If the Vikings manage to defeat the Raiders, once again without Jefferson, they’ll improve to 7-6. For Minnesota’s sake, Jefferson’s injury could be minor all things consider.

But, it’ll be a wait and see approach. Jefferson told reporters he likes the fact Dobbs is nimble on his feet, maybe instilling some confidence in the quarterback.

“It’s an extra thing the defense has to be aware of,” Jefferson said. “So, not only do you have to worry about our receivers and tight end and backs, but you also have to worry about a quarterback that’s running and able to be mobile. It’s a lot of weapons on the field.”

Jefferson said wasn’t going to rush his recovery to appease the masses.

“My health is wayyy more important than you winning your fantasy games,” Jefferson tweeted last week with a laughing emoji as he missed the Broncos game. “It doesn’t matter how many times y’all flood my dms talking about me selling your team. I DONT CARE.”

In 2022, the former LSU star had a career-high 1,809 receiving yards with eight touchdowns on 128 catches. Those numbers made him one of the most sought-after targets in fantasy drafts this fall.