Inside The Vikings

Final Vikings-Bears Injury Report: Justin Jefferson Questionable

Will Jefferson play against Chicago on Monday Night Football?
Final Vikings-Bears Injury Report: Justin Jefferson Questionable
Final Vikings-Bears Injury Report: Justin Jefferson Questionable

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Once again, Vikings superstar receiver Justin Jefferson has been listed as questionable for Monday night's game against the Bears.

At most, he'll miss one more game — which would be his seventh — due to the hamstring injury he suffered against the Chiefs in Week 5. The Vikings have a bye next weekend and could use that time to get Jefferson an extra 13 days to prepare to make his return against the Raiders in Week 14. But even with that being true, it's not out of the question that he could play against the Bears if he's feeling ready to go.

"It’s the medical opinions much more than my own," Kevin O'Connell said on Saturday. "Because it’s something where, I see Justin Jefferson step on a football field, he’s going to look ready to go, and I’m lucky I don’t have to make that call. My role in this is making sure the communication between the medical staff, our trainers, Justin, and myself is top notch and everybody’s on the same page, minute to minute, as he takes more and more reps like he has. We feel like we’re in a good spot on that."

The Vikings have until 3 p.m. central time on Monday to make a decision on whether or not they're going to activate Jefferson from IR. The safe guess continues to be that he sits one more game and gets the bye week to finish his recovery process. The Vikings have made it clear all along that they want to be cautious with the face of their franchise. We'll see if that holds true.

Also questionable for the Vikings are CB Akayleb Evans (calf strain) and DT Khyiris Tonga (knee soreness). If Evans can't play, rookie Mekhi Blackmon would make a second consecutive start.

The Bears have ruled out RB D'Onta Foreman, OL Larry Borom, CB Tyrique Stevenson, and LB Noah Sewell. Rookie Terrell Smith, a fifth-round pick out of Minnesota, is expected to see a significant role in Stevenson's absence. At running back, it'll be Roschon Johnson working behind Khalil Herbert with no Foreman.


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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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