The Minnesota Vikings were one of the best teams in football last season. While they hope to pick up where they left off to begin the 2025 campaign, there are a lot of questions swirling around the team.
First and foremost, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is taking over for Sam Darnold. Can he produce the kind of season that Darnold put together in 2024? That remains to be seen.
Another big question with the regular season right around the corner is about the health of superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson has been dealing with a hamstring injury during training camp and preseason action. To this point, there have been no concrete updates about when he could return to the field.
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With that being said, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke out and offered some words about Jefferson’s status.
Even though O’Connell talked about Jefferson, his update was cryptic. His words left the Vikings’ fan base with more questions than answers.
“He’s definitely going to hopefully start doing more and more,” O’Connell said when asked if Jefferson would practice this week. “I can’t say what that’s going to look like from a practice standpoint yet.”
Fans immediately started questioning what that update meant. There is legitimate concern starting to rise in Minnesota about Jefferson.
“Practice? Definitely, hopefully, just can’t say,” one fan wrote.
Another chimed in, “This is gonna linger all season.”
“This feels like the Christian McCaffrey situation,” a third comment read.
There is no question that Jefferson is the face of the Vikings’ franchise. They need him on the field if they’re going to be a contender in the stacked NFC this season.
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McCarthy will also need him on the field. Without Jefferson, the outlook for the first-year starter would take a major hit.
A hamstring injury can be very tough for a wide receiver to return from. Jefferson relies on his burst and explosiveness to dominate opposing defensive backs. His injury could negatively impact his ability to play his game.
Hopefully, Jefferson is able to get back to full health before Week 1 arrives. For now, this is a concerning update that has fans worried about Jefferson’s status for the regular season.
Expect to hear more updates about Jefferson’s injury status throughout the coming week.
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