Update: Jefferson suffered an ankle sprain during the Vikings’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers. Imaging showed no long-term damage, and there is a chance he will play in Week 4.
Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers after suffering a left ankle injury in the first quarter. Jefferson caught both of his targets on Minnesota's opening drive for 32 yards, then didn't see the field again. He spent time in the sideline medical tent, tested out both ankles while pacing along the sideline, and eventually headed to the locker room with roughly 7:45 left in the second quarter before the team made the ruling official.
ProFootballDoc identified it more specifically as a left ankle eversion sprain and said it's the kind of injury that's difficult to play through effectively even for a player who wants to give it a try. An eversion sprain involves the ankle rolling outward, which stresses the ligaments on the inside of the joint. That's a less common and generally more stubborn injury than the typical inversion sprain most fans are used to hearing about, since those inner ligaments matter a lot for push-off and change of direction, exactly what a receiver like Jefferson relies on. Worth repeating that this specific diagnosis is Chao's read from the outside, not something the Vikings have confirmed.
Jefferson has been remarkably durable for most of his career outside of two notable incidents: a hamstring injury that limited him to 10 games in 2023, and a quad contusion that knocked him out of a game against the 49ers in 2024, though he downplayed that one afterward and didn't miss the following week. A significant ankle injury would be new territory for him relative to those past issues.
With Jefferson out, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and Tai Felton all figure to see expanded roles in Minnesota's passing game the rest of the way. There's no word yet on what today's injury means for next week, and given how ankle injuries of this type tend to linger, that's probably the more important update to wait for once the Vikings have had time to evaluate him further.
Check back for more updates this week!
