Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson will miss at least four games with a hamstring injury.
The Vikings plan to put Jefferson on injured reserve, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Under NFL rules, that would mean Jefferson will miss at least the Vikings’ next four games, against the Bears, 49ers, Packers and Falcons. The earliest he could return would be November 12 against the Saints.
Jefferson is the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, and his injury is a huge blow to the Vikings, who at 1-4 are in desperate need of a quick turnaround that now looks unlikely to happen.
The 24-year-old Jefferson is currently in the fourth year of his rookie contract. He’s scheduled to make $19.7 million next year on his fifth-year option season, but he’ll want to get a lucrative long-term deal instead of playing out his fifth year. He has played well enough to earn a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, and he’ll have to hope this injury isn’t serious enough to change that.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has indicated the amount of time Jefferson misses will be determined by how well he responds to treatment.