Update at 5:10 p.m. CST: Midway through the the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Bucs, the Vikings officially ruled out Justin Jefferson due to an ankle injury. The severity of his injury is still unknown.
It didn't take long for the Minnesota Vikings to put up points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but unfortunately, that excitement was quickly deflated when it was revealed that Justin Jefferson suffered an ankle injury in the opening quarter of the matchup.
Jefferson was shown by the TV broadcast on the sideline during a Vikings' offensive possession in the first quarter. He later entered the blue medical tent, and Minnesota announced that the All-Pro wide receiver was questionable to return to the contest due to an ankle injury.
During his time on the sidelines in the first half, Jefferson kept his helmet on, which seemed good for his chances to eventually return to the game. But then the Vikings' No. 1 receiver went to the locker room with the training staff in the middle of the second quarter to take a closer look at his injured ankle.
Jordan Addison steps up in a major way for Vikings after Justin Jefferson injury
With Jefferson out of action, Minnesota needed the rest of their receivers to step up their play, and Jordan Addison didn't waste much time to do just that.
During the second quarter, the Vikings put together a four-play, 73-yard scoring drive that ended with Kyler Murray connecting with Addison on a beautiful 41-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown was Addison's first of the season, and Murray's first in a Minnesota uniform.
3️⃣ ball!
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 27, 2026
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/O3YBcdovkc
Depending on how long Jefferson is potentially out of action, the Vikings will likely need that Murray-to-Addison connection to continue to be something that produces what it was able to in the second quarter on Sunday.
Justin Jefferson's injury history with the Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson hasn't missed a game due to injury since the 2023 season, when he was sidelined for seven matchups with hamstring and chest injuries.
Most recently, he did sit out most of Minnesota's 2025 training camp with a hamstring injury, but that didn't force him to miss any time during the regular season.
The last time Jefferson injured his ankle was back in 2021, but he didn't end up missing any games due to that injury.
Hopefully, this ankle injury results in a similar outcome for Jefferson and the Vikings.
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