Vikes unsure of Jefferson’s status, ‘still very early’

MINNEAPOLIS — As he walked through the locker room Sunday evening, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell stopped to chat with receiver Justin Jefferson. He threw his arm around Jefferson’s shoulders, leaned in closely and spoke a few encouraging words into his ear.

It was the kind of conversation no coach wants to have. O’Connell’s star player left Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after a fourth-quarter injury to his right hamstring, and it’s a worrisome turn of events for a team that runs its entire offense through him.

O’Connell said that it’s “still very early” to project a timetable for Jefferson’s recovery — or if he’d miss any time at all — but a hamstring injury for a player at his position can be problematic.

“We’ll get him back as soon as we possibly can,” O’Connell said. “There won’t be a better teammate in that locker room during the time [he is out]. Hopefully we have him right back this week.”

Jefferson, who declined comment, hasn’t missed a game since the Vikings made him their first-round draft pick in 2020, and he has rarely missed a snap during that period. Since joining the starting lineup in Week 3 of his rookie season, Jefferson has made 53 consecutive starts while playing 92% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps.

“Justin has done a phenomenal job for the last 3½ years of staying healthy and being healthy every week, which is hard to do,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “Even with this injury, it makes you pause and be grateful for how healthy he has been.”

Sunday was Jefferson’s quietest day of the season. Cousins targeted him six times, but he dropped one pass — only his second in the past two seasons — and caught only three for 28 yards. The injury occurred midway through the fourth quarter when he stumbled while making a cut on a route.

Entering Week 5, the Vikings had targeted Jefferson on 47 passes, third most in the NFL. Their next-most targeted receiver was rookie Jordan Addison, who had been targeted 20 times. (Tight end T.J. Hockenson ranked second on the team with 31 targets.) Addison, the Vikings’ first-round pick, caught a career-high six passes for 69 yards and a touchdown Sunday.

“Jordan is the real deal,” Cousins said. “We hit on that draft pick. He’s a great player. He’s the real deal. Great hands, runs great routes. I’ve played with some really good skill groups in my career. Fortunate enough to do that. When I look at our group right now, it’s as good as I’ve ever been with.”

Veteran receivers K.J. Osborn and Brandon Powell would also expect to see increased targets if Jefferson misses any time. O’Connell, however, said the Vikings could go in a number of different directions in that scenario.

“We’ve got some guys that are here for a reason,” O’Connell said. “And the beauty of having [fullback] C.J. Ham and three tight ends and multiple backs is we can reinvent ourselves in whatever way we feel is the best way to move the ball and try to score points.”