Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Suffers Left Shoulder Injury in Practice

Jefferson's injury is reportedly a sprained AC joint, also known as a separated shoulder.

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson fell hard on his left shoulder while going for a catch during Friday's training camp practice, and all of the fans in attendance held their breath. However, it appears that Jefferson avoided a major injury; it's reportedly a sprained AC joint. That's good news considering all of the possibilities involving his collarbone or another serious diagnosis.

He will undergo additional testing this weekend.

Update: Jefferson got good news in his medical testing and is considered day-to-day. That's a huge win for the Vikings.

Vikings’ WE Justin Jefferson, who left practice today grabbing his left shoulder after he fell to the ground, has a sprained AC joint, per source. “Nothing serious,” per source, but there will be further testing this weekend.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2021

Jefferson appeared to be in pain and was immediately favoring his shoulder area after taking contact from cornerback Bashaud Breeland and hitting the ground.

Here's a video of the play.

Better video of the Justin Jefferson injury at practice. He lands hard on his left shoulder and is in obvious pain. Not what you want to see.

(🎥 @AndyMacSports)

pic.twitter.com/a3MJAYg5MM

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 6, 2021

Jefferson was down for a bit, being attended to by trainers, before getting up and walking into the team's facility. He didn't return to practice, later departing with head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman while wearing a hoodie.

Although it could've been worse, Jefferson will likely be out for a couple weeks at minimum. The timetable seems for a sprained AC joint seems to be anywhere from two to six weeks. Minnesota's Week 1 game in Cincinnati is just over five weeks away. Pain management and the threat of re-injury could also be issues throughout the season.

Without knowing much right now, it's safe to assume that Jefferson won't participate in any of the Vikings' five remaining training camp practices. I would also be surprised if he participated in any of the three preseason games. Even if he was healthy by the last preseason game in three weeks, there would be no upside to rushing him back for a meaningless contest.

The focus will be on whether or not Jefferson can get healthy in the next five weeks and be out there for Week 1. We should learn more about the injury this weekend when he undergoes further testing.

It would be a devastating blow to the Vikings' offense if Jefferson has to miss any games or the injury is more serious than currently believed. He proved to be one of the best offensive playmakers in the NFL last season, breaking the all-time rookie record with 1,400 receiving yards despite starting just 14 games.

Jefferson has had a fantastic training camp so far as he heads into his second season full of confidence that he can be even better than he was in his debut campaign.

Updates will be provided on Jefferson's injury status when they are available. But overall, it appears that this isn't too serious, which is good news for the Vikings.

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