Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is currently on the injured reserve list due to a hamstring injury and has missed the last three games.
Unfortunately for Jefferson and the Vikings, their season is essentially a lost cause at this point, as quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles last week and will miss the remainder of the year.
It puts a likely end to what could have been a remarkable turnaround for a Minnesota squad that started the season 0-3 and went on to win four of its next five games to get to 4-4 and vault itself back into playoff contention.
So, should Jefferson actually consider just sitting out the remainder of the 2023 campaign?
Former NFL wide out Keyshawn Johnson thinks so.
Johnson brings up the fact that Jefferson has still not settled on a new contract with the Vikings as a reason for why he should contemplate remaining on the sidelines for the rest of the season, especially considering that Jefferson would be coming off of an injury.
While Johnson doesn’t explicitly say that Jefferson should sit out, he merely suggests the idea and said it would be something he would certainly consider if he were in Jefferson’s shoes.
In the five games he has played this year, Jefferson has logged 36 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns.
The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at LSU, was selected by the Vikings with the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He has since established himself as one of the best receivers in football and has enjoyed one of the best three-year stretches of any wide receiver in league history.
Last season, Jefferson led the NFL in both receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) to go along with eight touchdowns. In Years 1 and 2, he racked up 1,400 and 1,616 yards, respectively.
He has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and also earned a First-Team All-Pro selection as well as the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022.
Justin Jefferson will likely land one of the largest non-quarterback contracts in NFL history.
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