The Minnesota Vikings ruled out star receiver Justin Jefferson for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins because of an ankle injury he suffered in Week 3, according to NFL.com. Jefferson did not practice all week, and the Vikings made his absence official on Friday’s injury report.
Jefferson got hurt in the first half of Minnesota’s win at Tampa Bay and has not logged a single practice rep since, according to CBS Sports. He will miss his first game of the season as quarterback the Vikings try to get their offense untracked without his top target.
What the team said
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell had hoped Jefferson could play through the injury, but the receiver’s inability to practice made the call clear. Jefferson “just couldn’t get there,” O’Connell said, via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune. Imaging on the ankle came back clean, per CBS Sports, but that was not enough to get him back on the field in time for Week 4.
Jefferson was downgraded from DNP to DNP across Wednesday and Thursday before the Vikings closed the door with an official Out designation on Friday, according to Yahoo Sports.
Justin Jefferson ankle injury: who replaces him
Jordan Addison is projected to step into the primary receiving role after producing several big plays in last Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay, according to NFL.com. The Vikings also need more from Jauan Jennings, who has caught one pass over two games.
Season context
Jefferson remains the only Vikings player with multiple scrimmage touchdowns through three games this season, but his 179 receiving yards mark the fewest through three games of his career, according to NFL.com. Minnesota enters Week 4 with the league’s worst total offense at 238.3 yards per game, making the Jefferson absence a significant hit to an already struggling unit.
What’s next
The Vikings host the Dolphins on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, facing a Miami defense that ranks 28th in points allowed and 29th in yards per play through three games, according to NFL.com. Minnesota hopes Jefferson is healthy enough to return in Week 5, when the Vikings travel to Louisiana to face the New Orleans Saints, per NFL.com.
Reporting from Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and NFL.com contributed to this story.
