Vikings' Justin Jefferson Reportedly Will Undergo More Testing on Hamstring Injury

Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson will undergo more testing on Monday after injuring his hamstring in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters after the game it's "still very early" to try establishing a timeline for Jefferson's return.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Jefferson was running a route and his leg slipped on the turf.

A similar play happened earlier in the game involving Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who left the game in the first half before returning in the third quarter with his ankle taped up.

The three-time All-Pro wideout finished the game with season-lows in targets (six), receptions (three) and receiving yards (28). He entered this week as the NFL's leading receiver with 543 yards through the first four games.

Jefferson is coming off his most prolific season yet in 2022. He led the NFL in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809) while hauling in eight touchdown catches. He was honored as the Offensive Player of the Year and finished fifth in the MVP voting.

Minnesota's offense underwent some big changes with Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook both getting released. The team is counting on Alexander Mattison to thrive with a bigger role, while it used a first-round pick on USC's Jordan Addison to address the passing game following Thielen's departure.

Addison in particular could help to alleviate some of the pressure if Jefferson has to miss time.

Having two-time Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson for a full season will help in that regard as well. Hockenson had 60 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns with the Vikings following his midseason trade.

Still, there's no diminishing Jefferson's value to the passing game. Kirk Cousins's life will get a lot more difficult if he is without his No. 1 target.