Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field
The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0 and headed to New Orleans on Sunday. The biggest question hanging over the trip is whether Justin Jefferson will be on the field with them.
Jefferson sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Vikings’ 23-16 win at Tampa Bay in Week 3, and he never returned. O’Connell said afterward that he got close to coming back a couple of times, but the team chose to play it safe.
The next day, the Vikings reported the diagnosis as a mild sprain, which was good news. Still, Jefferson didn’t practice at all last week, and the Vikings ruled him out for Week 4 on Friday, before Minnesota beat Miami 15-10 despite another underwhelming performance on offense.
Justin Jefferson trying hard to play vs Saints
Now, the focus turns to Week 5. Is Justin Jefferson going to suit up in his hometown against the Saints? If it’s up to him, the answer sounds like yes. Jefferson wants to play and will push KOC and the MN Vikings medical staff to make it happen.
That’s what Star Tribune Vikings reporter Ben Goessling said when he joined Paul Allen on KFAN 100.3 Tuesday morning, despite Minnesota’s bye week sitting right around the corner.
PA: But what are you feeling about that? I mean, with Justin?
Goessling: I think he’s going to push to play. I think you’ll see them be a little bit cautious this week. I don’t know that you’ll see full practice all three days, but I think he’s going to want to go.
… And the fact that he was close to coming back in the Tampa game, and they felt optimistic about the health this week, I would imagine that he’s going to try to do everything he can to go and try to get as much treatment to make that possible.
PA: But they have the bye, and they can beat the Saints without him.
Goessling: That would be the counter-argument, to say, “Let’s keep him out. Let’s not risk it.” We’ll see.
— Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) on KFAN 100.3 with Paul Allen
Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012 and has been the Star Tribune’s lead Vikings reporter since 2017. He and PA spent the back half of the segment talking about how big this early-season matchup is for the team’s outlook going forward.
Outside of injury concerns, everything about this game seems to be pointing in the Vikings’ direction. For starters, the timing couldn’t be better. The Vikings travel to New Orleans for a Week 5 matchup against the 1-3 Saints this weekend.
Tyler Shough and the boys come in on a short week, fresh off a 45-24 blowout loss to the Falcons last night on Monday Night Football. As PA points out, if the Vikings sit Jefferson Sunday, his ankle gets four full weeks to heal before the Week 7 home game against the Colts, and he’d only miss two games.
What does Kevin O’Connell have to say about Jefferson’s ankle?
With that being said, JJ is a Louisiana native, the ankle sprain was mild, and he was already close to returning in Tampa. If he can go, Justin is going to want to play in front of family and friends down in the bayou.
O’Connell later confirmed Justin’s desire to play Week 5 during his appearance with PA this morning, which came shortly after Goessling’s.
“Yeah, he wants to make it back. He wants to play in every game. I mean, he’s got very lofty goals, not only for himself, but he’s become such a pillar of leadership for our organization. He just wants to be out there setting the tone. I mean, it killed him not to play this past Sunday… But we want to be smart, and we’re going to see how he does this week. And he should be able to get some work as the week moves on, and we’ll see where he’s at for Sunday. We’d love to have him. And I know he would love it more than anybody to be out there on Sunday.”
Kevin O’Connell – KFAN
Related: Where Do MN Vikings Stand in Week 5 NFL Power Rankings?
Plus, if the MN Vikings can get a win Sunday, they’d enter the bye week at 5-0, which is starting to look like the timeline needed to (hopefully) get the offense back on track.
The main reason for optimism is how much better Kyler Murray looked during the second half against Miami. If you focus on his box score — 27/37 (73%) for 247 yards — and watch back his second half vs Miami a few times, it helps wash out memories of the first half too.
This is the Kyler Murray we’ve been waiting to see. Also, what a game for T.J. Hockenson. 11 for 106. https://t.co/UuMtkPBsdZ
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 4, 2026
New Orleans has the opposite problem Minnesota does. Their offense has been great, while their defense has been abysmal, allowing 32.0 points per game — dead last in the NFL. Minnesota’s defense ranks first in the same category, allowing 12.8 points per game through four weeks.
Waiting to bring Justin Jefferson back could make sense too
If Justin doesn’t go, it’s probably because the Vikings decide they can’t pass up an opportunity to use their Week 6 bye as a way to rest an injured superstar for three straight weeks, while he only misses two games.
“We’re going to look at it from a standpoint of, is he healthy enough to play? We have a very good idea exactly what he’s dealing with and feel good about the fact that it’s not a long-term thing… But at the same time, we do want to be smart and know that we’ve got off to a great start to this season… We’re going to have a chance to get healthy, hopefully, as a team coming out of the bye, but that doesn’t change the fact this is a really important game.”
Kevin O’Connell – KFAN
Out of the bye, Minnesota expects to get RB1b Jordan Mason back off the injured list. He has missed the Vikings’ last three games with a fractured thumb, and nobody is happier about his potential return than RB1a Aaron Jones, who’s been tasked with being a workhorse back since Mason hit the IL.
But another victory this weekend would also give the MN Vikings four NFC wins, two of which have come in the division (Packers and Bears). As they pointed out on KFAN, those are the victories that wind up deciding tiebreakers in both the division and wild card races down the road.
Kyler Murray finds Justin Jefferson on 3rd down for their first connection 💥 CBS | Paramount+ https://t.co/imgqojw4mA
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 13, 2026
No doubt Kyler Murray is itching to get Justin Jefferson back just as much as JJ wants to put pads on. Adding his top weapon would be a welcomed change for Minnesota’s QB1, especially considering the problems that could exist in pass protection.
Tight end Josh Oliver (torn bicep) was lost two weeks ago for the season. Against the Dolphins, the Vikings lost left guard Donovan Jackson (meniscus tear) for the year too. To make matters even worse, left tackle Christian Darrisaw is questionable with a concussion.
When will we get another update on Justin Jefferson’s ankle?
From here, we’ll have to keep an eye on the practice reports Wednesday through Friday. Even a limited session would be a big step, since he didn’t get one last week. Kickoff at the Caesars Superdome is noon CT Sunday on FOX, per the team, and then the Vikings are off in Week 6.