The Minnesota Vikings have witnessed some major setbacks lately due to injuries to their starters. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson had been out of the field for a couple of weeks, and quarterback Kirk Cousins’ season ended with a torn Achilles. Though Joshua Dobbs has been filling the void of Cousins, their receiver room seems lackluster in absence of Justin.
The Vikings showcased phenomenal bounce-back performance as Dobbs took the leadership, albeit the team is now 6-6 after losing two consecutive games. Meanwhile, fans can rest assured for a while as Jefferson has a positive injury update ahead of the Vikings Week 14 clash.
Justin Jefferson injury update
After sustaining a hamstring injury on Oct. 11, Justin Jefferson was projected to be benched for more than four weeks. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter raised eyebrows of the NFL community saying the Pro receiver is ready to run and take his spot on the field in Week 9. However, he missed a string of seven games until Week 13 and accentuated the significance of his absence from the Vikings’ lineup.
The WR was activated off the Vikings injured reserve last week. He expressed his frustration last week when talking about the challenge of balancing patience and the eagerness to swiftly return to action. He also discussed the importance of ensuring a complete recovery by highlighting the inevitability of taking the cautious path in the face of injuries.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Jefferson said last week. “It’s tough to be patient and try and make sure an injury heals properly, it’s definitely not something that I want to do, but it just comes with the game, trying to be healthy, trying to be 100 percent and just [taking] the safe route.”
The long-awaited happy moment seemingly arrived for the Vikings star as he was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, and does not appear on the team’s final injury report. With this positive update, the WR is going to play in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, uncertainties linger within the Vikings’ roster, with right guard Ed Ingram and safety Theo Jackson listed as questionable for the upcoming game. Ingram’s limited practice due to a hip issue and Jackson’s battle with an illness raise concerns about the team’s overall lineup against the Raider, per SI.com.
Justin Jefferson reveals his updated goal for 2023
Justin Jefferson sustained the hamstring injury in the Week 5 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. As the Vikings ventured deep into Chiefs’ territory on a crucial third-down play, fate took an unfortunate turn as the War slipped on the unforgiving turf while attempting a decisive cut. He was visibly limping off the field while clutching the back of his injured right leg.
Since Week 5, the receiver has been out of the active roster. Prior to this untimely injury, he had amassed an impressive 571 receiving yards, tantalizingly close to the coveted 1,000-yard milestone.
Refusing to succumb to the blow, the Vikings star recalibrated his focus. “Since I got hurt, the new goal is 1,000 yards.”
With 429 yards left to achieve this target, the young star has a challenging yet achievable task.
However, the road to recovery was not merely physical, as the receiver candidly discussed the mental hurdles of altering his aspirations after a season marked by league-leading receptions and receiving yards.
“To have missed seven games throughout the season, especially on the pace that I was going before the injury. It’s a little tough to see Tyreek going crazy every single week, to see different people throughout the whole league doing tremendous things.”
He also lamented, expressing the frustration of witnessing his peers like the Miami Dolphins Tyreek Hill’s remarkable performances while being sidelined.
Justin Jefferson has not been plagued by injuries prior to this, and mentioned how the setback has been difficult for him to overcome, given his level of performance and expectations.
