The Vikings' coming bye week will "definitely go into the decision" on whether receiver Justin Jefferson returns on Monday night against the Bears or misses a seventh game and gets an extra week of recovery time, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday.
"Knowing you have the bye and knowing five critical opportunities to come after that bye, we do have to be smart," O'Connell said. "This is a player that means a ton to our organization both for this home stretch to try to solidify our positioning in the playoffs and still try to compete in the division as much as we possibly can, [and] Justin means a lot more than just these five or six games, as critical as they are. His long-term career here is the priority."
During Sunday night's 21-20 loss to the Broncos, NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark relayed that Jefferson said he "didn't have the full speed and endurance right now to last a full game." Jefferson, who has run an average of 40 routes per game this season, has not played since straining his right hamstring in the Oct. 8 loss to the Chiefs.
While Jefferson has practiced for two weeks, he has yet to log a full session. The Vikings will continue to ramp up his practice reps this week, O'Connell said, and see how he feels afterward. Jefferson said last week he'll return when there's no soreness in his hamstring. The Vikings' next game after Monday night against Chicago is Dec. 10 against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
O'Connell was asked whether the loss in Denver expedites the plans with Jefferson.
"With his impact for our team, there's been some real urgency throughout this whole process," O'Connell said. "But also with a mindset on being smart and making sure that he feels as good as possible."
Jackson suspended four games
The NFL suspended Broncos safety Kareem Jackson four games without pay, citing a helmet-to-helmet hit on Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the first quarter of Sunday night's loss. Dobbs was pulled from the game by an independent spotter and evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared to return and did not miss a snap.
In a letter to Jackson, Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, wrote, "you lowered your head and made forcible contact" to Dobbs in a repeated violation. Jackson had returned Sunday night from a two-game suspension that stemmed from two ejections for illegal hits.