Justin Jefferson Injury Update & Return Timeline

Charlie Zschau Updated: 6 hours ago

Vikings fans and Fantasy Football managers alike winced as they saw Justin Jefferson leave the game against the Buccaneers with an ankle injury.

The Minnesota Vikings earned a hard fought 23-16 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but although they won the game, they lost All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson to an ankle injury in the first quarter of the game.

Jefferson walked off the field under his own power after a defender fell on his ankle in the first quarter, but did not did not return to the game and was officially ruled out in the third quarter. Before leaving the game, Jefferson caught two passes for 32 yards.

With Jefferson on the sidelines, 24-year-old Jordan Addison saw an increase in targets from quarterback Kyler Murray. Addison finished with five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

The Vikings remain undefeated (3-0), and will face the winless Miami Dolphins (0-3) in Week 4 at home in Minneapolis.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell offered a promising update in his post-game press conference, stating that Jefferson actually "got close" to returning to the game, which is encouraging news that the injury on not incredibly serious.

Justin Jefferson's Possible Return Date

The full extent of Justin Jefferson's injury is not yet known, and he will get an MRI to find out the specific injury and it's severity on Monday.

Due to his ability to walk off the field under his own power, and his potential to re-enter the game, there is optimism that Jefferson could be available to play in Week 4.

If Jefferson is to play next week against the Dolphins, he'll likely need to be a full participant in practice later this week. Keep an eye on the Vikings injury report throughout the week before starting Jefferson on your fantasy team next week.