Report: Vikings plan to place WR Justin Jefferson on IR with hamstring injury
The Vikings are in dire need of a winning stretch, but that possibility just became a lot more difficult for Minnesota.
After suffering a hamstring injury against the Kansas City Chiefs, many hoped star wide receiver Justin Jefferson would be back on the field as early as this weekend. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Jefferson is headed to the injured reserve.
“The #Vikings plan to place WR Justin Jefferson on injured reserve because of the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, per sources,” tweeted Pelissero. “The exact timeline is TBD based on how he responds to treatment. But Jefferson is out at least four games.
“Minnesota’s next four games are at Chicago, home against the #49ers, at Green Bay and at Atlanta — a critical stretch for a 1-4 #Vikings team that has been one of the NFL’s most productive offenses. Now, they’ll move forward without their superstar.”
Moreover, Jefferson has already established himself as one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. At every turn, he’s shattered numerous records and milestones during his first few years in the league.
The former LSU star recently eclipsed 5,000 receiving yards in just 52 games, tying Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for the fewest games needed in NFL history. There are now only two players in NFL history to clear 5,000 receiving yards before the age of 25 — Randy Moss and Justin Jefferson.
Losing Jefferson for any amount of time is incredibly bad news for the Vikings. Minnesota is now 1-4 on the year and facing the possibility of playing without their leading receiver of the past three seasons. The prospects of a turnaround just became that much more difficult.
In 2022, the former LSU star had a career-high 1,809 receiving yards with eight touchdowns on 128 catches. So far this season, Jefferson has 36 catches, 571 yards and three touchdowns.
Without Jefferson in the lineup, expect rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison to be that much more important for Minnesota. He’s been impressive thus far for Minnesota, but his target-share is about to ramp up.
Regardless, it’s more than disappointing top hear Justin Jefferson will be missing some time, and the NFL world hopes he recovers quick from the hamstring injury that’ll keep him out. The Minnesota Vikings will certainly be hoping so, as well.
On3’s Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this article.