Justin Jefferson sends message to fantasy football owners amid injury rehab
The Minnesota Vikings officially designated wide receiver Justin Jefferson for return from injured reserve on Nov. 8 and fans are starting to get antsy. One of the league’s best receivers hasn’t played since he injured his hamstring in Week 5, which resulted in a move to Injured Reserve.
So far this season, he has 36 catches, 571 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers are a big letdown for his fantasy football owners, but Jefferson isn’t going to rush his recovery to appease the masses.
“My health is wayyy more important than you winning your fantasy games,” Jefferson tweeted on Tuesday with a laughing emoji. “It doesn’t matter how many times y’all flood my dms talking about me selling your team. I DONT CARE.”
In 2022, Jefferson, 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.
Vikings snap five-game winning streak vs Broncos
Minnesota won five games in a row after losing Jefferson before falling to the Denver Broncos in Week 11. Undoubtedly, fans of the team want the wideout back as soon as possible to stop a potential skid. The Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season when he tore his Achilles against the Packers. Minnesota traded for Josh Dobbs on Halloween and it’s gone well ever since until Sunday.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has made it clear the team isn’t going to rush the former first-round draft pick back on to the field until he’s 100%.
“We’re right at that six-week mark or so. He’s really attacked his rehab, and I think when that time comes, we’ll feel comfortable with Justin being out there. I know Justin will as well. It’s one of those things that knowing you have the bye, and knowing there are five critical [games] to come after that bye, we do have to be smart,” O’Connell said Monday, via ESPN.
“This is a player that means a ton to our organization, both for this home stretch to try to solidify our positioning in the playoffs and still try to compete in the division as much as we possibly can, but Justin means a lot more than just these five or six games, as critical as they are. His long-term career here is the priority.”
Next up on the Vikings’ schedule is a Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears.