The Minnesota Vikings are bracing for star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to be sidelined up to six weeks with the hamstring injury he sustained last week, ESPN reported Saturday.
The All-Pro Jefferson was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He has to miss at least four games. The team will run imaging on the hamstring again in four weeks to measure when he can return, per the report.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said earlier this week he expects Jefferson to return this season. However, with the Vikings sitting 1-4 heading into Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears (1-4), Jefferson could opt against returning this season if the team is out of the playoff race by the time he's healthy enough to return.
Jefferson, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, strained his right hamstring in the second half of Minnesota's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.
Jefferson has been a workhorse for the Vikings, who selected him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 24-year-old has yet to miss a game in his career, playing in 55 with 53 starts. He led the NFL last season with 128 catches for 1,809 yards, his third straight season with at least 1,400 yards.
Jefferson caught eight touchdown passes last season and has 28 for his career.
Through the first five weeks this season, Jefferson has 36 catches for 571 yards and three scores. So far this season, Jefferson has played 92 percent of the Vikings' snaps, equal to his 2022 total.
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