The Minnesota Vikings have spent most of training camp and the preseason operating without their top receiving weapon.
The good news for Vikings fans? Jefferson appears ready to return to the field, well ahead of the Vikings’ Week 1 ‘Monday Night Football’ game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 8.
Here’s what to know about Jefferson’s injury and his status moving forward.
Justin Jefferson injury update
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell announced Jefferson would be returning to Vikings practice on Monday.
‘You’ll see him,’ O’Connell told reporters when asked about Jefferson’s status. ‘He will begin to take part in practice. It’ll be kind of a ramp up. You’ll see him take part in bits and pieces of it here, but he will officially be back to work and be ramping up from here.’
Jefferson had been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during the Vikings’ second training camp practice. At the time, O’Connell referred to the injury as mild and said Jefferson would be re-evaluated in a week.
Jefferson’s absence ended up lasting longer than that. Minnesota held him out of action until Monday’s session, marking 24 days between practices for the star receiver.
But now, it appears the 26-year-old is back to full strength, though the Vikings are preparing to ease him back into action with about three weeks remaining until the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Justin Jefferson stats 2024
Jefferson was the Vikings’ top receiver in 2024, as he posted his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season to open his career and posted more than 100 catches for the third time.
Below is a look at Jefferson’s stats from the 2024 NFL season:
- Games: 17
- Targets: 154
- Receptions: 103
- Receiving yards: 1,533
- Receiving TDs: 10
- Yards per catch: 14.9
Jefferson was named an All-Pro first-teamer for his strong performance in 2024, marking the second time he had received the honor.
Justin Jefferson fantasy outlook
Jefferson figures to once again be one of the best fantasy football wide receivers in 2025. The 26-year-old has proven to be one of the most consistent pass-catchers in the NFL over the last half-decade; his history of success should allow him to retain his billing as the No. 2 fantasy receiver behind only Ja’Marr Chase.
There are a couple of concerns with Jefferson. Notably, the Vikings are set to pivot to first-year starter J.J. McCarthy as their top quarterback; if the 2024 first-round pick gets off to a slow start, Jefferson might start the season on a slower-than-average pace.
Jefferson’s injury was also a point of pain for prospective fantasy managers before his return to practice. Now that he’s back on the field, fantasy managers can feel confident selecting the 26-year-old as a top-five player in their fantasy football drafts. He should have plenty of time to ramp up to full speed before the regular season begins – barring any setbacks.
Vikings WR depth chart
Jefferson is the clear-cut No. 1 receiver on Minnesota’s depth chart. He figures to see an especially large target share in the first three weeks of the season, as Jordan Addison will be serving a three-game suspension during that time.
Below is the pecking order of Minnesota’s top-six receivers according to the Vikings’ most recent depth chart:
- Justin Jefferson*
- Jordan Addison*
- Jalen Nailor
- Lucky Jackson
- Tai Felton
- Jeshaun Jones
* Denotes starter.
The Vikings also lost veteran receiver Rondale Moore for the season due to a knee injury, so their depth at receiver figures to be tested early in the season.
