Justin Jefferson injury verdict leaves Vikings with Kirk Cousins headache
Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is set to be placed on injured reserve, which will leave the franchise considering their options - including at quarterback - after a troubled start to the season.
Jefferson sustained a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of the Week 5 game in the NFL against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The superstar wide-out left the field and did not return in the 27-20 loss at US Bank Stadium, and it has now been confirmed he will be spending the next few weeks on the sidelines.
has reported that the Vikings plan to place Jefferson on injured reserve with an exact timeframe for a return from the injury not known.
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A move to injured reserve means Jefferson will now spend at least the next four games on the sidelines, including road games against NFC North divisional rivals the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, as well as a trip to the Atlanta Falcons and a home game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The news of Jefferson’s injury came after Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed on Monday that the receiver would be seeking multiple opinions on the injury. O’Connell explained how Jefferson would be seeking further details on the injury before a decision would be made on what to do next.
"Justin's still going through the evaluation process on that hamstring strain," O'Connell told reporters on Monday, via NFL.com, prior to the news of the player being placed on injured reserve.
"I'll keep you guys posted on what that timeline may look like and how his availability may be for this week or moving forward."
After four defeats from their opening five games, and with doubts over the future of Cousins, the Vikings could face the intriguing prospect of trade interest in their starting quarterback who is out of contract at the end of the season.
With Jefferson also out, a run of further defeats could leave the franchise potentially in position for a high draft pick in a 2024 class expected to be loaded with talented quarterbacks.
O’Connell added: "I think there will probably be a couple different opinions on it, but we've got to get the MRI of it and take look and find out exactly what it is, where it is, if there's any other factors that go into it and determine what the best decision for him to get him back to 100 percent as fast as possible.
"He's down today. He obviously is one of the most ultra-competitors I've ever met, and shoot, he was trying to go back in the game as it was yesterday. So we're gonna have to medically make a good decision and help kind of almost protect him from himself a little bit in a way where we've got to take care of him and get him back to 100 percent."
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