The Minnesota Vikings got the answer they wanted on Justin Jefferson. The harder question is how much to push him for a game they may not need him to win. Jefferson has an ankle sprain after leaving Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter, and the 3-0 Vikings host the winless Miami Dolphins this weekend.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed the diagnosis Monday. “It’s an ankle sprain — avoided anything long-term,” O’Connell said, per Pro Football Talk, adding that he was “very encouraged to get that news today.” The hurdle now is swelling, not structural damage. “It’s just going to be about progressing throughout the week and where we can get him to from the standpoint of getting the swelling out,” O’Connell said. That tracks with Sunday, when O’Connell said Jefferson “got close” to returning before being ruled out.
Why the Vikings can afford patience
Miami looks like the right opponent to play it safe against. The Dolphins are 0-3, have dropped all three games by double digits and just lost running back De’Von Achane to a torn ACL, per NFL.com. Minnesota opened as a 9.5-point favorite, according to Covers, and Brian Flores’ defense is allowing 4.6 yards per play while ranking first on third down and in the red zone. Miami managed 10 points in last week’s loss to Kansas City. That’s a defense built to win a low-scoring game on its own.
The offense has a fallback, too. Jordan Addison caught five passes for 90 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay with Jefferson sidelined for most of the afternoon. Jefferson has 13 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns through three games, so the Vikings would be giving up plenty. But Addison proved Sunday that he can handle the No. 1 role for a week.
Minnesota’s first injury report of the week comes out Wednesday, and Jefferson’s practice status will tell us a lot. If he isn’t a full participant by Friday, sitting him against a team
