The Minnesota Vikings have managed to withstand injuries to key players to keep pace in the NFC playoff race.
The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to an Achilles tear, though they pivoted quickly by trading for Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals.
Dobbs has been one of the best stories of the 2023 NFL season as he made both Arizona and Minnesota competitive despite not having much starting experience.
However, the Vikings were excited to see their best player return in Week 14 against the Las Vegas Raiders as Justin Jefferson was finally cleared to play.
Jefferson was on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, but finally got enough practice time in to make it back in time to play Las Vegas.
However, his first game didn’t last for very long as he took a big hit on a play and was forced to retreat back to the locker room with a chest injury via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, who took a huge hit from Marcus Epps, is headed to the locker room.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 10, 2023
Jefferson was officially diagnosed with a chest injury and is questionable to return, though it wouldn’t be surprising if he was held out as the hit was a brutal one to take.
The play Justin Jefferson got hurt on: pic.twitter.com/sqzlKoRoUW
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) December 10, 2023
The star receiver hasn’t been able to stay healthy this season, and it puts a serious damper on the team’s hopes of keeping up with the rest of the conference.
Fans have to be worried about Jefferson’s health and perhaps even start to wonder if it’s worth keeping him out there.
Minnesota still has plenty of opportunities to sneak into the playoffs, and it would be hard to sit Jefferson down the stretch if he’s cleared to play.
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