Justin Jefferson Injury, Latest on Vikings WR's Status and Timeline to Return After Exiting vs. Bucs

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson could return quickly from his ankle injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

Jefferson was injured during Sunday's 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was ruled out of the game.

He had two catches for 32 yards prior to exiting.

After the game, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Jefferson was "pretty close" to returning to the game.

"I just know that he was pretty close to coming back in," O'Connell said, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "He just couldn't get there. He's such an explosive player, and the way he gets defended, he needs to be able to have [his legs] getting off the line, press coverage, all those things. He just couldn't quite get there. I know he was trying like crazy, and it was killing him not to get back out there."

Jefferson hasn't missed a game since 2023, although he was sidelined for part of training camp last July due to a hamstring injury.

He also sat out seven games in 2023 due to an issue with his right hamstring.

Jefferson is hoping to stay healthy this season as he looks to bounce back from a relatively down year in 2025.

The star wide receiver finished the season having recorded 1,048 receiving yards on a career-low 12.5 yards per catch.

Jefferson is just two years removed from a stellar 2024 season during which he recorded 1,533 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns to help Sam Darnold and the Vikings compete for the top spot in the NFC.

Both Jefferson and his team, however, seemingly took a step back as rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled with injury and inconsistency in 2025.

Minnesota will hope to get Jefferson healthy in order to help the team improve after naming Kyler Murray starter earlier this offseason.

Murray's chemistry with Jefferson will be key to the Vikings' hopes of deploying a more effective offense this fall.