EAGAN, Minn. — When the Minnesota Vikings roll out their fourth starting quarterback of the season this weekend, they'll be able to complement him with their top receiver.
All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson confirmed Wednesday that he will play Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, giving quarterback Nick Mullens, who will be making his first start of the season, one of the most dynamic targets in the league.
After missing seven games with a hamstring injury, Jefferson's much-anticipated return on Sunday was spoiled when he took a big hit from Las Vegas Raiders safety Marcus Epps after catching a first-down pass in the second quarter. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year got up wincing, and walked over to the sideline holding his back. As a precaution, the team transported Jefferson to a local hospital where he was evaluated for a chest injury and later released.
"It definitely was a tough period of time, of course, wanting to come back after seven, eight weeks, and wanting to be a part of the team and making plays out there," said Jefferson during a media availability on Wednesday. "But with the situation and the circumstances that happened, I had to be taken out of the game."
Jefferson, who called the injury an "inner bruise," said it was the first time he'd ever been in an ambulance or in the emergency room. However, he was keeping a close eye on what was happening on the field, admitting to watching the game on his phone while in the back of the ambulance.
"I was yelling. I was screaming," Jefferson said. "The people that were really hurt, they probably were annoyed by me."
Before getting injured Sunday, Jefferson was able to make some history when he surpassed Randy Moss for the most receiving yards by a Vikings player in his first four seasons. While his return was cut short, Jefferson said he "felt like a kid again" being back on the field after more than two months.
In six games this season, Jefferson has 38 receptions for 598 yards and three TDs. The Vikings (7-6) currently hold the second wild card spot in the NFC playoff race, and control their own destiny in the NFC North.
Watch more coverage of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.