Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer Oct. 9, 2023, 2:07 p.m. ET
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- Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL for ESPN. Kevin has been covering the NFL for over 20 years and joined ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and The Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him on Twitter @SeifertESPN.
EAGAN, Minn. – As Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell waited for final tests on receiver Justin Jefferson’s strained right hamstring, he made one thing clear Monday afternoon: The team will not put him back on the field until he is fully has recovered.
“He’s down today,” O’Connell said of Jefferson. “He’s obviously one of the most extreme competitors I’ve ever met. He tried to get back into the game like it was yesterday. We need to make a good decision medically and help protect him almost from himself,” a little bit like we need to take care of him and get him back to 100%.
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Jefferson suffered the injury when he slipped while making a cut during a route with 12:49 left in the Vikings’ 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. He sat out the Vikings’ final 21 snaps, a rarity for a player who has never missed an NFL game and has played 92% of the team’s offensive snaps since entering the starting lineup in Week 3 of the 2020 season .
The Vikings play at the Chicago Bears this Sunday, and while O’Connell didn’t rule out Jefferson, he talked about the big picture of the team’s season and the career of its star wide receiver on Monday.
“We’re going to do what’s best for Justin and make sure we give him the treatment and plan that is overall positive for him,” O’Connell said.
If Jefferson misses time, the Vikings’ three receivers will likely consist of KJ Osborn, Jordan Addison and punt returner Brandon Powell. Tight end TJ Hockenson was the Vikings’ second-most targeted pass catcher after Jefferson (53) (39).