Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Saturday the Minnesota Vikings completed their second preseason game of 2025. They have just a single contest left on the road against the Tennessee Titans. That means Week 1 on the road against the Chicago Bears looms large.
This offseason general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did a ton of heavy lifting in the trenches. The offensive line is overhauled, and the defensive front seven may be the best in the sport.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
You wouldn’t think wide receiver would be a position of need while employing Justin Jefferson, but that script has been flipped. Kevin O’Connell provided significant updates regarding his star and the position as a whole.
Justin Jefferson returns to practice for Minnesota Vikings
Early on in training camp Justin Jefferson took himself out of practice with a hamstring injury. Looking to avoid a long-term absence like he had previously experience, he has been down since. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said the star wideout will return to practice this week.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says WR Justin Jefferson will begin to take part in practice. And he’ll be ramping up from here.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 18, 2025
For the past couple of weeks Jefferson has been seen only smiling and jogging around the practice field as he goes through treatment for his injured hamstring. With a full week before the end of the preseason and exactly three weeks until the Bears game, Jefferson has plenty of time to ramp up.
There’s no reason to believe he’ll play this weekend against the Titans. Healthy or not, there’s nothing to gain by putting the best wide receiver in the sport on the field for a meaningless game. The return to practice is what the focal point is here.
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Jefferson played in just 10 games two seasons ago after suffering a hamstring injury. Last year he was healthy and totaled 1,533 yards across 17 games. He is going to be the top target for new quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and the pair can continue working on their chemistry with him back on the field.
Grim news for MN Vikings Jalen Nailor
It’s absolutely a problem for the Minnesota Vikings that Jordan Addison has been suspended for the first three games of the season. After his “wet reckless” charge, there was never a way he would escape discipline. His absence is compounded now by an injury to Jalen Nailor.
Jalen Nailor (hand) is week-to-week, per Kevin O’Connell. Trying to determine best course of action for his return. O’Connell wouldn’t say if surgery is a possibility.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 18, 2025
Week-to-week is not an ideal designation, and neither is the possibility of surgery. Jalen Nailor operated as the third wide receiver last season after K.J. Osborn departed in free agency. The results were largely mixed, and him serving as WR2 with Addison out already seemed problematic.
Now facing the possibility of at least a notable amount of missed time, the Vikings are backed into a corner. Adofo-Mensah must go find another wide receiver, and two of them isn’t unrealistic either.
Amari Cooper is the top name left in free agency, but Gabriel Davis and familiar face Brandon Powell are there too. No matter what, acting sooner rather than later, while giving the player time to develop chemistry with McCarthy, is imperative.
Josh Metellus back for MN Vikings too
Minnesota had multiple injury scares during their joint practices with the New England Patriots last week. Nailor and Josh Metellus were among the most notable of them. While Nailor appears down for a while, the do-it-all safety is already back.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says Josh Metellus is going to work back in today. Avoided anything major from play Thursday in joint practices.
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 18, 2025
Minnesota recently handed Metellus a shiny new contract and the Swiss Army Knife has earned every bit of it. He has played in all 17 games each of the past three seasons and lines up all over the place.
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Last year Metellus racked up 103 tackles with two behind the line of scrimmage. He picked off a pair of passes, which was a new single-season career high. Metellus also forced a fumble and had six quarterback hits. He is an absolute menace all over the field.
With Cam Bynum having departed for the Indianapolis Colts, and Theo Jackson taking his traditional safety role, Metellus could be relied on more than ever.
Mentioned in this article: Jalen Nailor josh metellus Justin Jefferson More About:Minnesota Vikings