Minnesota

Vikings

The talk around Jefferson this week has been mostly optimistic, but two missed practices in a row are two missed practices in a row. Friday’s status will be hugely important for his odds of getting on the questionable line. If there’s any real doubt about how he’ll play, we’d imagine the Vikings would sit him against the lowly Dolphins.

New York just lost Brian Burns to a season-ending ACL tear. Ward was on the team in 2022 and 2023. He played in Tennessee last year, totaling five sacks in 17 games. He will give the Giants some extra depth as they attempt to backfill Burns’s role.

Jefferson seemingly has a chance to face the Dolphins in Week 4, but his participation level at Thursday and Friday’s practices should give us a better sense of his availability. If active against the Dolphins, Jefferson would be startable as a WR1 despite the injury. He caught 2-of-2 targets for 32 yards on seven snaps last week before exiting.

Neither player has played a snap for the Vikings this year. They’ll both look to catch on elsewhere.

The 2025 sixth-rounder was waived from injured reserve with a settlement at last cuts. Still just 23, Neal has a non-zero shot of resurfacing for a real role here.

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.