With their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, the Minnesota Vikings have dropped to 1-4 as things are spiraling out of control. Things don’t seem like they could get much worse for the franchise but in the fourth quarter of the game, it did.
Star wide receiver Justin Jefferson came up lame after running a route, slipping awkwardly while running a route. He didn’t return to the game after that, piling on top of what has already been a brutal five weeks of the season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t provide too much of an update on the status of Jefferson, as it was too early to do so. The extent of the injury in which he is dealing with and any sort of timetable about how long it will take for him to return to the field won’t be known until he undergoes more tests on Monday, per ProFootballTalk.
“It was tough on him. He is the ultimate competitor. We’ll get him back as soon as we can,” O’Connell said in a postgame news conference on October 8. “There won’t be a better teammate in the locker room during that time. Hopefully, we have him back this week. He’s a captain, he’s done everything the right way. Absolutely love him and what he brings from a competitive standpoint and setting a standard of what we’re all out for.”
If Jefferson is out for an extended period of time, that could be the last straw for the Vikings this season. They are already struggling to win games with him in the lineup; imagine what their offense is going to look like without him leading the way in the passing game.
A first-round pick of the Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson has yet to miss a game as a professional. He has been reliable since Day 1 of stepping on the field for Minnesota and would be a massive loss if he is unable to play in the coming weeks.
In Week 6, the Vikings have a matchup against their NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears. Chicago looks to have figured something out on the offensive side of the ball as Justin Fields has had the two best games of his career in back-to-back outings. A struggling Minnesota defense could be his next victim as he has thrown eight touchdowns in Weeks 4 and 5.
What could shape up to be a shootout, Kirk Cousins may have to rely on rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison as his No. 1 target. Tight end T.J. Hockenson joined Jefferson on the sidelines during the Vikings’ last drive of the game, potentially leaving the team without their two best weapons.
