Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson has an ankle sprain, according to the MRI performed Monday, and there's a chance he'll be able to play Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins.
"He avoided anything long term. It's just going to be about progressing throughout the week and where we can get him to from a standpoint of getting the swelling out and then what kind of work week he can have," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday. "But I was very encouraged to get that news today."
Jefferson did not return Sunday after suffering a left ankle injury at the end of the Vikings' first possession in a 23-16 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that improved Minnesota to 3-0 this season.
O'Connell said after Sunday's game that Jefferson was "pretty close" to returning to the contest but "just couldn't get there."
The injury came at the end of a 10-yard screen pass with 11:07 remaining in the first quarter. Jefferson had earlier caught a 22-yard pass across the middle amid high hopes that he and quarterback Kyler Murray would team up to elevate the passing game.
In Jefferson's absence, wideout Jordan Addison caught five passes for 90 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown from Murray in the second quarter. But that was the only offensive touchdown the Vikings scored Sunday, as they managed just seven first downs after Jefferson was hurt.
At one point following the injury, Murray completed only two of 15 passes. He finished the day with 15 completions in 29 attempts for 168 yards, taking three sacks and having a batted pass intercepted in the backfield.
Jefferson, a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, has largely been healthy in his NFL career and has played in every Vikings game for five of his six full seasons. The lone exception was a torn right hamstring in 2023 that caused him to miss seven games.