Vikings Opening Justin Jefferson's Practice Window This Week
The Vikings are opening superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson's practice window this week, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport. That means he'll be out there during Wednesday's practice and now has 21 days to be activated from injured reserve.
Jefferson remains unlikely to play this weekend against the Saints, although it can't fully be ruled out due to his extreme competitive nature. But this move signals that he's getting closer to returning to game action after missing the last four weeks with a hamstring injury. The Vikings' coaches and medical staff will evaluate Jefferson every day moving forward, and they'll make the decision to let him play once he's close to 100 percent and has very little risk of re-injury.
Realistically, Jefferson might be aiming to make his return two Sundays from now when the Vikings take on the Broncos in a primetime game in Denver. He'd obviously love to play against his hometown Saints and Marshon Lattimore this weekend, but that might be rushing him back just a bit too quickly. Hamstring injuries can be tricky and the risk of aggravation is elevated if a player returns too soon.
Whenever it does happen, the Vikings will be thrilled to get back arguably the best wide receiver in football. They've won all four games without Jefferson, surging from 1-4 to 5-4. They currently hold a playoff spot in the NFC. Jefferson won't be catching passes from Kirk Cousins, but he'll provide a major lift to an offense that will be led by either Josh Dobbs or Jaren Hall.
If Jefferson and K.J. Osborn (concussion protocol) don't play this weekend, the Vikings' receivers will be Jordan Addison, Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, and N'Keal Harry.
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