If Justin Jefferson will get his want, he’ll be taking part in this Sunday when the Vikings tackle the Saints on the Superdome in New Orleans, which sits about half-hour away from his hometown of St. Rose, Louisiana.
Jefferson exited the Vikings’ Week 3 recreation in Tampa with a sprained ankle, then sat out this previous weekend’s win over the Dolphins in Minneapolis. He was in a position to observe in a restricted capability on Wednesday, which is an effective signal for his possibilities of taking part in this week.
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It’s going to all rely on how his ankle feels over the course of the following few days, however Jefferson stated he feels “actual good” and is planning on taking part in this week if the whole lot checks out.
“Hopefully so,” he stated. “That is positively the plan. Being again at residence in Louisiana is unquestionably one thing that I need to do. The plan is for me to play, however who is aware of?”
“Simply taking it day-to-day,” he added. “Ankles are a bit bit difficult, so that you simply gotta proceed to remain within the remedy room and ensuring that it feels the very best that it feels each single day. Coming into this constructing on daily basis at the very least feeling a bit higher than it did earlier than. Getting on the market at this time positively felt good.”
The Vikings have a bye week after this recreation. They’re 4-0. These are a pair theoretical causes to lean in direction of sitting Jefferson in opposition to the Saints if he is something lower than one hundred pc.
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On the identical time, he is their celebrity and the face of their franchise. His happiness issues. Jefferson desperately desires to play in entrance of a packed Superdome for the primary time in his profession. The one earlier time he is performed in New Orleans got here throughout his rookie season in 2020, when a really restricted variety of followers had been allowed due to the pandemic. In 2022, the Vikings’ street recreation in opposition to the Saints was performed in London.
“I’ve positively been fiending for it, for certain,” Jefferson stated. “It is positively been a very long time coming. Being again at residence with my family and friends having the ability to watch. LSU followers, the followers which were watching me for an extended time frame. Undoubtedly received lots of people tuned in to that recreation, and hopefully I will play and have the ability to give them a present.”
Jefferson confirmed that he was injured on his second catch of the Vikings’ first drive in opposition to the Buccaneers, a display screen cross wherein “4 or 5” gamers tackled him, together with 350-pound defensive deal with Vita Vea.
“Felt a bit tweak,” Jefferson stated. “Tried to come back into the sport, tape it up, however I felt a bit little bit of weak spot. Went to the again and regarded on the X-rays, it was all good. It was simply all about making it really feel higher, getting the soreness out, the swelling out after the sport. Nevertheless it feels good now, and hopefully Sunday, having the ability to rock and roll.”
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Jefferson understands that the bye week is developing. He additionally hates lacking soccer video games, every time they’re.
“I need to be on the market,” he stated. “That is the primary factor. I hate lacking video games. I hated lacking final week; I wished to be on the market final week. Particularly at residence. I by no means need to miss any time. It has been a bit robust, they have been holding me again a bit bit, simply not making an attempt to drive something.”
Fired up about OBJ addition
Wednesday’s information that the Vikings are signing free agent large receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to their observe squad was thrilling to lots of people, together with Kevin O’Connell — however Jefferson might be on the prime of that record.
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Beckham and Jefferson have been shut for a very long time. Beckham overlapped with each of Jefferson’s older brothers, Jordan and Rickey, throughout his time at LSU from 2011-13. Justin, after all, went on to star at LSU in 2018 and ’19 earlier than rising as an NFL celebrity and breaking a lot of Beckham’s early-career data.
“It is positively cool,” Jefferson stated. “All the years that I’ve watched him play and regarded as much as his recreation his play type, on and off the sphere, how he carried himself as a celebrity within the league. We have been brothers for a really very long time. The connection has all the time been there. We have all the time talked about this second, someday having the ability to play with one another. For it to really be right here is unquestionably loopy. He known as me final evening to inform me he was coming down. The thrill that we shared collectively, it was positively a cool second.”
Jefferson stated he is taken a number of inspiration from watching Beckham play. Beckham joked that he picked jersey No. 9 with the Vikings as a result of “Justin received half his recreation from me.” The 2 had an older brother-younger brother relationship for a very long time that has developed right into a friendship as friends over time.
“I’ve all the time been a fan of his recreation,” Jefferson stated. “He all the time handled me like a bit brother, ever since he was at LSU. Clearly him being within the league and seeing what I used to be doing at LSU form of sparked the connection much more. I modeled my recreation after him in sure areas — the way in which he runs his routes, the wiggle on the prime of his routes. There’s bits and items that I took from his recreation. … To see him on the market (at observe) at this time was a cool second.”
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This story was initially revealed by Convey Me The Sports activities on Oct 7, 2026, the place it first appeared within the MN Vikings part. Add Convey Me The Sports activities as a Most popular Supply by clicking right here.
