Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been sidelined with an injury for a significant portion of the NFL season.
As one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, Jefferson’s injury has been accompanied by speculation and criticism. Here is all we know about Jefferson’s injury ahead of the Vikings’ Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.
What Is Justin Jefferson’s Injury?
Jefferson suffered a hamstring strain in Minnesota’s Week 5 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The injury occurred with 12:59 remaining in the fourth quarter when Jefferson slipped running a route and limped to the sideline where he did not return.
Despite Jefferson wanting to return to the game, the Vikings decided to shut him down so as to not agitate the potential injury.
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury on this play.
He is questionable to return.
pic.twitter.com/aH6uHflJHR— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 8, 2023
A day later, on Oct. 10, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Jefferson was being placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for a minimum of four weeks. Jefferson has now missed six games and looks set to miss another before Minnesota hits its bye week.
Jefferson and the Vikings couldn’t agree on a new contract in the offseason, which has led to some unsavory criticism aimed towards him on social media. Jefferson told ESPN, “I don’t really care too much. Just because everyone is going to have their own opinions of what they think, what I’m thinking, or what I’m doing, So it is what it is.
“I know my position. I know what I’m doing. And I know it’s not for the contract. It’s not for the contract at all.”
MORE: Week 13 NFL Power Rankings
Irritated by the criticism, Jefferson continued, “I’m just tired of it. It’s just frustrating, and it’s draining to want to be out there on the field, wanting to play, and all of these other sources saying different things that are not true about how you’re feeling.
“It’s a crazy situation. It is what it is. But I’m more focused on being back on that field and playing; the rest is going to come with it.”
Will Justin Jefferson Play in Week 12?
Despite practicing throughout the week, Jefferson will not take part in Monday Night Football.
When asked on Nov. 24 by ESPN what his chances of playing on Monday are, Jefferson played down expectations saying, “I’m not sure. We’ll see. We still have more days to practice and really evaluate everything. We’re going to weigh the options correctly, making sure that I’m feeling well and prepared to play a game, and if I’m feeling good, I will play.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tempered expectations even more, sharing, “Justin Jefferson is not expected to play on Monday Night Football in Week 12 against the Bears because of his hamstring, per a team source. The Vikings are not going to push their best player to get back on the field despite the fact they are in the playoff hunt.”
The Vikings had until 4 p.m. ET on Monday to activate Jefferson off IR, if he was ready to go. But as reported by Ben Goessling, the Vikings opted not to activate him, giving extra recovery time. Jefferson however, could return against the Raiders on Dec. 10.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
It’s clear that the Vikings are not going to rush Jefferson too early and risk aggravating the injury. After Minnesota plays the Bears in Week 12, they enter a bye week, which will give Minnesota more time to assess his availability.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!