Red Flag Raised About Vikings WR Justin Jefferson After Comments

The Minnesota Vikings are doing their best to manage All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been sidelined in training camp with a hamstring injury. However, the nature of his plight may already be cause for concern.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has downplayed the severity of the issue.

However, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan noted that hamstring issues tend to linger. Moreover, Jefferson has navigated these issues before.

“The Vikings star wide receiver has been sidelined during the early portions of training camp due to a hamstring injury,” Sullivan wrote on July 30. “Justin Jefferson seemed to be in good spirits Monday, but he was still not participating.

“The 26-year-old does have a history of hamstring injuries, as he was limited to 10 games in 2023, and this type of injury is one that could regress in an instant. With that in mind, the Vikings would be wise to proceed with caution with their superstar pass catcher. Until he’s logged a few full-speed practices in a row, this is another injury that should be on folks’ radars.”

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Sullivan’s list used a three-level metric (low, medium, and high) to measure “how concerned folks should be for their prospects of being ready for Week 1.” Sullivan deemed Jefferson “medium.”

The Vikings are hoping to have Jefferson back before then, though.

Vikings Taking Cautious Approach With Justin Jefferson

O’Connell noted the various ways Jefferson has made his presence felt even while not on the field with his Vikings teammates for the time being. That has included handling some play-call relay duties.

“He’s so important to our team,” O’Connell told reporters on July 29. “Justin wants to be out here, be around. Wants to be present with his teammates. And not just the receiver group, the offense.

“There’s a lot of ways we can maximize this time as one of our captains. A guy that sets the tone in this building, and he is knocking it out of the park. Rehab’s going really well, already progressing. So, could end up being a blessing in disguise in a lot of ways, where Justin’s mentally preparing and engaging with his teammates. He’s totally, completely present every single day. But at the same time, … we’re trying to build him up for 17-plus games, and  just very fortunate we were able to get out in front of things the way we were.”

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“The finite amount of time we’re talking about to get him right and get him totally ready to roll for the grind that – the guy plays 70-plus snaps a week. And what we ask him to do, it’s just flat-out remarkable that he’s able to consistently do that. But you still want to have him back sooner rather than later,” O’Connell said.

“Zero worry about the opener, but there’s a lot of time between now and then, and what that looks like. We’re going to be smart, but at the same time, he wants to get back out there. He does not want to stay wearing what I wear to practice for much longer.”

J.J. McCarthy Not Concerned About Missing Time on Task

J.J. McCarthy is working his first training camp as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, and not having his top target, Jefferson, could hinder their chemistry on the field. However, McCarthy expressed as much concern about that as O’Connell did about Jefferson’s absence.

“I feel like we were in a really great spot. Spent a lot of time in the offseason just getting on the same page. He’s a different receiver. He moves in different ways, and just being able to really get reps, and reps, and reps with him is huge. And unfortunately, he’s down with a little bit of soreness, but at the end of the day, you know, we’re going to pick up right where we left off. We’re still communicating off the field, and he’s still communicating with me on the field on how he would run certain routes and where the ball placement would be. So, I think it’s in a really good spot,” McCarthy told reporters on July 30.

“He’s one of the leaders on our team. Does a tremendous job of just always being interactive and in it. A lot of those guys, they can sometimes hide away in the training room and kind of do their own thing. But you really feel his presence out there. And just being able to pick his brain next to him in the locker room and out on the field, it’s really awesome.”

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“I think you see it in meeting rooms. Even in the install today, dialogue between those two guys postpractice,” O’Connell said. “There’s a reason why he is so beloved in this building. And clearly, it’s  [because] he’s one of – he’s the best in the world at what he does. But he’s also a phenomenal teammate. He’s also phenomenal with his dialogue with me as the play caller, with Keenan [McCardell] as his position coach, the quarterback, all of that. That’s why I hold Justin in such high regard.”

Jefferson and the Vikings’ first preseason game is on August 9 against the Houston Texans.

They will open the 2025 regular season on the road against the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football.”