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Is Vikings' Justin Jefferson Playing Today vs. Texans in Preseason Game?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nishant Gupta | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 12:10 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their preseason against the Houston Texans on Saturday. All eyes will be on J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season after tearing his right knee meniscus in last year's preseason opener.

McCarthy will not have the services of his primary weapon for his first outing of the 2025 season. Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is sidelined for the preseason opener owing to a minor injury.

Jefferson expressed some discomfort in his hamstring only days into the training camp, and further evaluation revealed a mild hamstring strain. The Vikings' head coach, Kevin O'Connell, is glad to avoid anything major and plans to stay cautious with the four-time Pro Bowler.

While the Vikings' WR will not suit up on Saturday, Jefferson fans can tune in to the Vikings' broadcast to see him swap the football for a mic. Jalen Nailor vs. Brandon Powell will be a key battle on the team's roster in the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year's absence.

There were speculations about the 26-year-old returning to training next week, but NFL insider Darren Wolfson shut down the narrative with a disappointing update.

“I do think at some point, maybe it’s that last week in August, or maybe it’s when things ramp up #Bears preparation week, that Jefferson gets some good reps in,” Wolfson said.

The coaching staff has no doubts about Jefferson's availability for the Week 1 clash against the Chicago Bears.

“The best thing is we avoided anything serious. I see no concerns in regards to the opener and have no worry at all that we’ll be able to get Justin ready to go for the regular season.” O’Connell said.

When and Where to Watch Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans?

The Vikings host the Texans on Saturday, August 9, at 4 PM ET at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Minnesota fans can tune in to KMSP FOX 9 to enjoy the broadcast, where Paul Allen will call the play. Ben Leber and Pete Bercich are the designated color commentators, and Tatum Everett is the sideline reporter for the fixture.

It’s been way too long, @usbankstadium.#Skol pic.twitter.com/rN1I27OcvK
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025

Texans fans can tune in to KTRK and ABC-13, where Marc Vandermeer will call every play. Andre Ware is the color analyst, and John Harris is the sideline reporter for the matchup. Viewers can also stream the matchup using NFL+, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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