Minnesota

Vikings

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said after Sunday’s game that Jefferson was “close” to returning, so Monday’s report isn’t all too surprising. While Week 4’s game remains on the table for Jefferson, the Vikings could very well opt to sit him this week against a Dolphins offense that’s among the worst in the league and just lost its star player to a torn ACL. Jefferson’s status will be one to monitor throughout the week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings rested him for at least one week given the injury and the upcoming matchup.

It’s likely a season-ending injury for Oliver, although there is some hope he could return late in the season if the Vikings are still in contention. The 29-year-old tight end has been used mostly as a run blocker and has totaled just three receptions for 46 yards this season.

The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the trade. McCarthy landing with John Harbaugh’s Giants feels a bit too on-the-nose given his connection with Jim Harbaugh during his days at Michigan. McCarthy was at one point competing for the Vikings’ QB1 job in camp with Kyler Murray, but was knocked all the way down to QB3 on the Vikings’ depth chart when Carson Wentz took over for Murray in Week 1 and drew the start in Week 2. Assuming Jameis Winston doesn’t suddenly exceed expectations and lead an efficient passing attack, McCarthy will probably get a shot to start at some point when he gets up to speed with the offense. McCarthy has thrown for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 career games while completing 57.6 percent of his passes. We’ll see if a change of scenery is all he needs to turn the corner and live up to the hype that made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Oliver will undergo tests to confirm the injury, but this would likely be a season-ender if the worst is confirmed. Oliver has caught three passes for 46 scoreless yards this season, but has been a key contributor in the running game since joining the Vikings in 2023. His 97 snaps are the second most among Vikings tight ends, behind T.J. Hockenson, with 68 of those snaps coming in run-blocking situations.

According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, the Vikings will evaluate Jefferson’s injury further, “but it didn’t sound terribly serious initially.” It sounds like Jefferson could have a chance to play in Week 4 against the Dolphins’ fantasy-friendly pass defense, though nothing is certain at this time. Stay tuned.

Jennings hasn’t been part of the Minnesota passing attack through three weeks. Against the Bucs Jennings ran the second most pass routes on the Vikings, behind only Jordan Addison. The low-volume Vikings passing offense likely can’t support more than one fantasy viable pass catcher per week. Jennings should remain on waivers for now.

Claiborne was the only Vikings back besides Aaron Jones to see a touch out of the backfield. DeeJay Dallas, meanwhile, was banged up coming into Week 3 and did not record a touch against the Bucs. Claiborne could see a fantasy-viable workload if Jones gets nicked up and Jordan Mason remains sidelined. He’s worth an add in deeper formats.

Only Jordan Addison saw more targets than Jones, who retained his lead back role for a second straight week with Jordan Mason injured. Demond Claiborne was the only other Minnesota running back to see a carry (he had three.) Jones was a grinder against the Bucs, picking up key first downs and shedding tacklers on screen passes in the second half. The Vikings seem intent on feeding Jones the rock for now. That should keep him in all lineups next week against the Dolphins.

In his first action since sustaining a concussion in Week 1, Murray wasn’t asked to do much in this one. He was about four percent below his expected pass rate on the day with an average depth of target of 9.4 yards. Murray targeted Jordan Addison heavily after Justin Jefferson left the game with an ankle injury, connecting with Addison on a 41-yard score and narrowly missing the speedy downfield wideout for another touchdown. Murray took three sacks and avoided a handful of other sacks against a Tampa front seven missing key players. Murray likely won’t be a 12-team starting play in Week 4 against the Dolphins even if Jefferson suits up.

Running a route on 29 of the team’s 37 drop backs, Hockenson was uninvolved in the offense even after Justin Jefferson exited the game with an ankle injury in the first half. Hockenson, who has nine grabs over the Vikings’ first three games, profiles as a low-floor weekly option in a Minnesota offense that has not passed at its usual volume early in the season.