Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson injured his hamstring six weeks and six days ago. He has been practicing since November 8, but has not yet played in a game.
On Friday, Jefferson said the possibility of playing Monday night was something my mom always said to me when she didn’t want to deal with the aftermath of saying no.Let’s take a look”
But he also said: A lot more.
When asked about recent criticism on social media, prompting him to duly denounce him on Twitter. (And apparently plans to delete his Twitter and Instagram accounts afterward).
“I don’t know everyone” Jefferson said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “I’m tired of it. I want to be on the field, I want to play, and it’s frustrating and exhausting to have other sources telling me something different than how I feel. It’s a crazy situation. That’s the reality. . But I’m more focused on getting back on the field and playing. The rest will come together.”
Another source of outside scrutiny is that Jefferson doesn’t have a long-term contract.
“I don’t really care because everyone has their own opinion on what I think and what I do,” Jefferson said. “So, that’s what it is. I know where I stand. I know what I’m doing. And I know it’s not because of the contract. It’s because of the contract. Not for the sake of it.”
This argument is the same one we heard from Lamar Jackson in 2021 and 2022. If Jefferson had signed a long-term contract, he would have been back on the field by now.
And this is an unpopular opinion (from the perspective of people who just want their players to shut up and have fun). Jefferson shouldn’t play until he’s truly 100 percent, especially since he’s not under contract.
Before the season, he was ready to sign. The ball was in the team’s court. The team chose to keep Ball and the millions in guaranteed money in their pockets.
His income this year is $2.39 million. Why should he risk his health without the financial security he has?
Soft tissue injuries take longer to heal. They always take longer than necessary.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow returned to play despite suffering a soft tissue injury to his calf. Would he have done it without a long-term contract? (He shouldn’t have done that.)
Jefferson really shouldn’t play until he’s 100 percent. period. If you don’t like it, don’t blame him. Blame the Vikings for refusing to fully guarantee contracts beyond this year for every player other than Kirk Cousins.
As of now, with a bye next weekend, Jefferson should hang in there for just one more game before returning for Week 14 against the Raiders. It’s been 9 weeks since then. By then he should be 100 percent. And if he can maintain his 100 percent performance, the Vikings will receive an important boost going into the stretch run.