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Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Minnesota Vikings have kept Justin Jefferson sidelined for much of the preseason as he recovers from a hamstring strain from the beginning of training camp.
While Jefferson has participated in practice recently, the Vikings’ superstar receiver’s latest injury update is concerning, not only for the season opener against the Chicago Bears, but also beyond.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Jefferson’s hamstring injury isn’t expected to impact his play, but he could require “long-term maintenance” on his hamstring in practice as a precaution.
“This is going to be a long-term maintenance thing. He’s had enough hamstring [issues] at this point… He practices hard, he does not like to miss practice, I wonder if they would mitigate any of that,” Goessling said on KFAN radio on September 2. “Hamstrings seem like a consistent enough issue for him that I think they are going to treat it with quite a bit of attention.”
That’s not an encouraging sign. If Jefferson’s workload needs to be throttled heading into the season, there seems to be a concern of reaggravation to his left hamstring when he plays. Whether he can perform at 100% is not guaranteed.
Jefferson missed seven games with a right hamstring injury during the 2023 season and revealed that the way he plays could put more stress on his body.
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Reveals His Playstyle Puts More Strain on His Body
When Jefferson exited the second day of training camp with a hamstring injury, head coach Kevin O’Connell described it as a “very mild” strain.
That was July 25.
Since then, Jefferson has remained present in practices, coaching and cheering on teammates throughout the preseason.
“Justin wants to be out here, be around, wants to be present with his teammates, and not just with the receiver group, the offense,” O’Connell said a few days later in July. “There’s a lot of ways we can maximize this time as one of our captains, guy who sets the tone in this building. And he is knocking it out of the park.”
“Rehab’s going really well,” O’Connell said. “Already progressing. 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 and completely present every single day.”
O’Connell maintained there was “zero worry” about Jefferson being ready for Week 1.
However, a month has passed, and while Jefferson returned to practice, the Vikings continue to be cautious in protecting the superstar receiver from himself.
“I’m different from a lot of other people,” Jefferson said on August 18.”The way I move, the way my body is positioned, the way I cut and the way I do everything is kind of different than what everyone else does. Different positions I might put a little bit more stress on my body than a normal typical person would.”
Vikings WR Room Concerns Lead to Adam Thielen Trade
The Vikings have question marks at nearly every spot on their wide receiver depth chart.
Jefferson has his hamstring injury. Jordan Addison has his suspension. Jalen Nailor is recovering from an operation on his hand.
These developments all played a part in the team’s decision to trade for Adam Thielen, who will likely step into the No. 2 wide receiver role opposite Jefferson for the first three weeks of the season.
It’s not time to panic just yet.
But many things need to fall in the Vikings’ favor this week for J.J. McCarthy to have the best possible pass-catching corps available to him ahead of the Bears season opener.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
