Justin Jefferson’s status for this week’s game between the Vikings and Bears in Chicago remains a mystery, but the word out of Minnesota one of extreme caution with the superstar wide receiver.
“Justin’s still going through the evaluation process on that hamstring strain. I’ll keep you posted on what that timeline may look like and how his availability may be for this week or moving forward,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday, less than 24 hours after Jefferson suffered the hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs.
O’Connell indicated that Jefferson will seek multiple opinions and that there may be a need to protect Jefferson from himself. In other words, they’re not going to rush him back from a soft tissue injury.
“I think there’ll probably be a couple different opinions on it but we gotta get the MRI of it and take a look and find out exactly what it is, where it is, if there’s any other factors that go into it and determine what the best decision for him to get him back to 100% as fast as possible,” O’Connell explained. “He’s down today. He obviously is one of the most ultra competitors I’ve ever met. Shoot, he was trying to go back in the game as it was yesterday. We’re going to have to medically make a good decision and help kind of almost protect him from himself a little bit in a way where we gotta take care of him and get him back to 100%.
Does Jefferson need to be 100% before they let him return?
“Yeah, I don’t know that. That’s a really good question,” O’Connell answered. “The way he runs and the way he opens up, every single play seems like he’s running full speed and exploding off the ball. To be determined on all that, but we’re going to do what’s best for Justin and make sure we give him the treatment and a plan that is a big picture positive for him.”
Asked if he’s been given any reason to be optimistic about Jefferson’s injury, the second-year head coach said “I have not really been given reasons either way yet.”
