Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Status in question for Week 5
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Jefferson (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at New Orleans.
The same can be said for fellow WR Jordan Addison (hamstring). Jefferson himself is looking to miss just one game due to an ankle injury that he picked up in a Week 3 win at Tampa Bay, and his status will be confirmed, one way or another, about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: At practice Friday
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Jefferson (ankle) and Jordan Addison (hamstring) were at practice Friday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports.
It's unclear if either wide receiver was a full participant, but this does suggest that both have a chance to play Sunday in New Orleans.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Another limited session
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Jefferson (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday.
Jefferson initially injured his ankle in the middle of a Week 3 win at Tampa Bay and missed this past Sunday's game against the Dolphins. So far this week, he's logged back-to-back capped sessions, and Friday's practice report may provide some clarity regarding whether or not a return to action Sunday in New Orleans is possible. For what it's worth, Jefferson told Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com on Wednesday that he wants to play this weekend as a native of Louisiana, but ultimately it'll be a team decision regarding his status.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Intends to play Sunday
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Jefferson (ankle) said Wednesday that he's aiming to play Sunday at New Orleans, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports.
Coach Kevin O'Connell provided an update on Jefferson earlier Wednesday, saying the wide receiver "is doing well" and will be limited to begin Week 5 prep. Jefferson's ensuing activity level indeed was limited, but per the player himself he wants to play against the Saints as a native of Louisiana. The Vikings will take the situation "day by day," and his listing on Friday's practice report may be telling for his odds to suit up this weekend.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: To be limited Wednesday
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Jefferson (ankle) "is doing well" and will be a limited practice participant Wednesday.
This will mark Jefferson's first on-field work since he suffered a sprained left ankle in the second quarter of a Week 3 win at Tampa Bay. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported Saturday morning that the Vikings are hopeful that Jefferson will return to action in Week 5, and his ability to practice in any capacity Wednesday is a step in that direction.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Ruled out for Week 4
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Jefferson (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Dolphins.
Jefferson wasn't able to practice this week due to the ankle injury that forced him out of this past Sunday's win at Tampa Bay. His next chance to suit up will be Sunday, Oct. 11 at New Orleans, but considering the Vikings have a Week 6 bye, the team could exercise caution with its top wide receiver with the second half of the campaign in mind. In any case, Jordan Addison is poised to serve as Minnesota's top pass catcher in the short term, with fellow WR Jauan Jennings, TE T.J. Hockenson and RB Aaron Jones likely next up for targets from QB Kyler Murray.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Remains absent Friday
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Jefferson (ankle) remained absent from Friday's practice, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Jefferson hasn't practiced at all this week after twisting his ankle seven snaps into last Sunday's game against the Bucs. It's looking likely that Jefferson will now miss Week 4 against Miami. If so, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and Tai Felton should see the bulk of the wideout snaps for the Vikings.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Nearly came back in after hurting ankle
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Jefferson (ankle) "got close a couple times" to returning to Sunday's 23-16 win over the Buccaneers, head coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Jefferson sustained an ankle injury in the first half and was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game after catching both of his early targets for 32 yards. The Vikings held on without their star receiver to improve to 3-0 heading into a Week 4 home game against the Dolphins. Jefferson's ankle injury will be evaluated further, but O'Connell sounded optimistic that Jefferson may not face much, if any, additional missed time.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Tending to ankle injury
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Jefferson is questionable to return to Sunday's game at Tampa Bay due to an ankle injury.
Jefferson picked up the issue in the first half of this Week 3 matchup, and if he's unable to reenter the contest, he'll end it with two catches (on two targets) for 32 yards. WR Jordan Addison and TE T.J. Hockenson will take on more sway in the Vikings' passing game for as long as Jefferson is sidelined.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Two TDs from Wentz after Kyler exits
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Jefferson caught eight of nine targets for 92 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 39-22 win over the Packers. He also caught a successful two-point conversion.
Jefferson kept the Vikings within striking distance with a 39-yard touchdown catch just after the two-minute warning in the first half, and he put the exclamation point on Minnesota's 22-0 fourth-quarter run with a nine-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Both of those touchdown passes came on passes from Carson Wentz, as Kyler Murray (concussion) exited the game in the first quarter. Jefferson's two touchdowns Sunday matched his 2025 season total across 17 games, but the 27-year-old wide receiver has a pair of 10-touchdown regular seasons in his career. If Murray doesn't pass concussion protocol before a Week 2 road game against the Bears, Wentz would likely get the start over J.J. McCarthy.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Makes impressive grabs in last camp practice
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Jefferson connected on a couple highlight-reel grabs from quarterback Kyler Murray during the Vikings' final training camp practice Aug. 26, Andrew Krammer of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Though most of the Vikings' key starters ended up sitting out Friday's 34-6 loss to the Broncos in the preseason finale, Jefferson and Murray displayed a strong connection while sharing the field together for the last time in front of assembled media before the Sept. 13 season opener versus the Packers. During red-zone work, Murray made a strong anticipation throw over the middle to Jefferson that went for a touchdown, and on the very next play, the wideout hauled down a one-handed touchdown grab on a throw Murray made while facing heavy pressure. While it may be ambitious for Jefferson to return to the great heights he displayed over his first three years in the NFL when he averaged 108 catches, 1,608 yards and 8.3 touchdowns per season, the upgrade in quarterback play that Murray is expected to provide should help Jefferson handily outperform the 84-1,048-2 receiving line he posted over 17 games in 2025 with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer throwing passes to him.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Building rapport with Murray
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Jefferson and newly named starting quarterback Kyler Murray have been starting to click at practice, Will Ragatz of Bring Me The Sports reports.
Jefferson will be working with a new starting quarterback for the fourth season in a row after Minnesota named offseason addition Kyler Murray as their starter Tuesday. The two players connected on a handful of big plays at practice Wednesday, including a gain of roughly 35 yards on a deep post. Jefferson is coming off a down year during which he caught 84 of 141 targets for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were career lows, over 17 regular-season contests while working with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer at quarterback. Now with the expectation of more stability with Murray under center, the 27-year-old superstar wide receiver is looking to get back on track. Murray also seems to understand the most important aspect of quarterbacking the Vikings: get Jefferson the ball as often as possible.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Still not sure who QB will be
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As the 2026 season approaches, Jefferson's status as the Vikings' top pass catcher is secure, but it remains to be seen who will be throwing him the ball come Week 1.
Former Cardinal Kyler Murray was brought in to compete with J.J. McCarthy, and according to coach Kevin O'Connell, it's possible that the team's looming QB competition could extend into the preseason, Kevin Seifert of ESPN reports. Murray, the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is viewed as the favorite to win the job, and if that ends up being the outcome, he'd be Minnesota's fourth different Week 1 starter in the past four seasons. Subpar QB play hampered Jefferson's fantasy upside in 2025, but if Murray seizes the top job and engineers a bounce-back season of his own in the process, the four-time Pro Bowler stands to benefit.
Jefferson agreed to terms Friday on a contract restructure that frees up salary cap space for the Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Jefferson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) both agreed to restructures Friday, helping Minnesota achieve a more manageable salary cap situation ahead of the start of the legal tampering period on Monday. The star wide receiver, who will turn 27 in June, will likely spend the offseason focusing on building an increased rapport with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand), after the two struggled to get on the same page throughout the 2025 campaign. The Vikings have also been linked to numerous quarterbacks expected to be available in free agency as potential added competition for McCarthy.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Extends 1,000-yard season streak
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Jefferson caught eight of 11 targets for 101 yards in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers.
Jefferson endured a tough season due to the Vikings' issues at quarterback, but with his first 100-yard performance since Week 5, the superstar wideout was able to record his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign to begin his career. Jefferson wraps up the season with an 84-1,048-2 line on 141 targets, the worst yardage and touchdown totals of his career. One of Minnesota's biggest priorities this offseason will be finding a way to build chemistry between J.J. McCarthy (hand) and his most talented target.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Production lacking again
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Jefferson caught four of five targets for 30 yards in the Vikings' 23-10 win over the Lions on Christmas Day.
Despite the limited production, Jefferson actually led Minnesota in catches, targets and receiving yards on a day in which rookie QB Max Brosmer threw for just 51 yards. The Vikings' issues under center have ruined Jefferson's season, and he still needs 53 more yards -- a mark he's failed to reach in five of the last six games -- to record his sixth straight 1,000-yard campaign. If J.J. McCarthy (hand) is able to suit up Week 18 against the Packers, Jefferson's odds of keeping his streak alive might be slightly improved.
Jefferson was held to two receptions on four targets for four yards in Sunday's 26-0 loss to Seattle.
The Vikings were forced to turn to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer with starter J.J. McCarthy (concussion) unavailable and backup Carson Wentz (shoulder) on injured reserve. The end result was even worse than expected with the third-stringer under center after Jefferson finished the shutout loss with a career-low four receiving yards. The horrid quarterback situation in Minnesota has damaged its star wideout's fantasy value in addition to its playoff hopes. The remaining hope for Jefferson's fantasy managers is that McCarthy can clear the league's concussion protocol by next Sunday's matchup against the Commanders, as he at least possesses the arm strength to take shots down the field towards his superstar receiver.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Four catches in Week 12 loss
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Jefferson brought in four of six targets for 48 yards in the Vikings' 23-6 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
It's small consolation for Jefferson's frustrated fantasy managers, but the star wideout either tied for the lead (receptions) or set the pace (receiving yards, targets) for the Vikings on the afternoon in all three major receiving categories. However, J.J. McCarthy's continued struggles led to Jefferson's third sub-50-yard effort in the last four contests, and there presently doesn't appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel for Minnesota's air attack. Jefferson's next matchup doesn't offer any solace, either, considering a Week 13 road matchup against the daunting Seahawks defense awaits next Sunday.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Scores TD in McCarthy's return
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Jefferson secured six of nine targets for 47 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Lions on Sunday.
Working with J.J. McCarthy as his quarterback for the first time since Week 2, Jefferson finished with team-high reception and target totals while coming just a yard short of drawing even with Jordan Addison for the lead in receiving yards as well. Jefferson's yardage tally was his lowest since Week 1, but his 10-yard touchdown grab to cap off the Vikings' first drive of the contest was also his first trip to the end zone since the opening game of the campaign. Jefferson and McCarthy will continue to build chemistry as the second half of the season unfolds, with their next opportunity coming in a Week 10 home matchup against the Ravens.
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Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Solid numbers in Week 7 loss
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Jefferson brought in five of 10 targets for 79 yards in the Vikings' 28-22 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.
Jefferson posted a team-high 40-yard reception during the close contest, but he ultimately played second fiddle to Jordan Addison, who finished with a 9-128-0 line on 12 targets, all team-high figures. Nevertheless, Jefferson's day wasn't a total washout by any stretch, and he extended his streak of 75-plus-yard tallies to five games while also getting to at least five receptions for the fourth consecutive contest. Jefferson hasn't found the end zone since Week 1 against the Bears, however, a matter he'll look to rectify Thursday night when the Vikings and Chargers open the Week 8 slate in Los Angeles.
