Lost in the chaos caused by the Vikings trading for quarterback Josh Dobbs and sending left guard Ezra Cleveland to Jacksonville on Tuesday was a little line from Ian Rapoport on NFL Network when he uttered the words “Justin Jefferson coming back sooner rather than later.“
Rapoport didn’t elaborate further, but it’s a promising comment for a Vikings team that can use all the help it can get after losing Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles.
Jefferson has missed three games since suffering a strained hamstring on Oct. 8 and he has to miss one more game before he’s eligible to return from injured reserve. It’s unclear if he’ll be back when the Vikings host the Saints on Nov. 12, but that game could also be the first start for Dobbs as a Viking.
Rookie quarterback Jaren Hall has been confirmed the starter this Sunday for the Vikings-Falcons game in Atlanta, so if the Vikings feel Dobbs gives them the best chance to stay in the hunt then he could be debuting just as Jefferson returns to give him a full arsenal of weapons along with receivers Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn, and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
A week after Jefferson was injured ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he could miss up to six weeks while also saying Jefferson “will have to ask himself whether a return this season is worth the risk of long-term injury if the Vikings have fallen out of the playoff race.”
The Vikings have not fallen out of the playoff race, instead winning all three games without Jefferson to get back to .500 at 4-4. That’s good for seventh in the NFC and the last spot in the playoff picture.
The New Orleans game Nov. 12 carries even more weight because they’re also 4-4. Minnesota has a better conference record and thus owns the tiebreaker, but that head-to-head result could be critical if both teams are fighting for a wild card spot later this season.
Jefferson was dominant in the five games he played, racking up 36 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns. Despite not playing in the last three games, he’s still 14th in the NFL in receiving yards and his 14 receptions for 20+ yards is tied for fourth most in the league.
