Justin Jefferson, the NFL’s reigning offensive player of the year and one of only two unanimous first-team All-Pro picks a year ago, was designated to return to practice Wednesday.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said that the plan is to ease Jefferson back in and that he is unlikely to play Sunday against the Saints.
Jefferson has a 21-day practice window before he has to be activated, so he could return as late as after the team’s Week 13 bye.
Jefferson injured a hamstring in the 27-20 loss to the Chiefs at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 8. He went on injured reserve with 36 catches on 53 targets for 571 yards (15.9 per catch), three touchdowns and 28 first downs.
Jefferson played 51 snaps (71%) in the Chiefs game, catching only three passes on six targets for 28 yards and no touchdowns. He played in at least 95% of the snaps in each of the team’s first four games and opened the year with 150, 159 and 149 yards against the Buccaneers, Eagles and Chargers.
With Jefferson in the lineup, the Vikings went 1-4 while averaging 22 points and 362.4 yards per game. Without him, the Vikings went 4-0 while averaging 345.3 yards and 24 points per game, including a season-high 31 with newly-acquired Josh Dobbs relieving rookie quarterback Jaren Hall in last Sunday’s upset win in Atlanta.
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens was also eligible to return to practice after going on injured reserve at the same time as Jefferson because of a back injury, but he was not ready to come back Wednesday.
With Hall in concussion protocol, the Vikings signed former Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan to the practice squad. Morgan had a previous stint on the Vikings practice squad from Oct. 5-10.
The Vikings had only two healthy quarterbacks on their roster: Dobbs and Sean Mannion, who is on the practice squad.
In other roster moves Wednesday, the Vikings placed running back Cam Akers on injured reserve after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon Sunday against Atlanta and released defensive lineman Sheldon Day from the practice squad to make room for Morgan.