If J.J. McCarthy is going to succeed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, having All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson out on the field is likely going to have a major impact on that.
Jefferson's availability has been in question recently, as he's been dealing with a mild hamstring injury. However, McCarthy and the entire Vikings fan base were presented with a major update on Monday regarding the health of the star pass-catcher.
Prior to the team's practice on Monday, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell shared that Jefferson is returning to practice this week for the first time since the second day of training camp back in July.
"He will begin to take part in practice. It’ll be kind of a ramp-up. You’ll see him take part in bits and pieces of it, but he will officially be back to work and be ramping up from here."
Minnesota Vikings on track to have J.J. McCarthty throwing to Justin Jefferson in Week 1
Now that Jefferson is returning to practice, Vikings fans can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief. Minnesota's wide receiver depth for the first few weeks of the season has taken a hit recently, but the team getting its No. 1 target back on the practice field is s great sign for his chances to play in the Vikings' regular-season opener on September 8th against the Chicago Bears.
Jefferson also shared some good news of his own when he told local reporters on Monday that his current hamstring injury isn't as severe as the one that he dealt with in 2023, which caused him to miss seven games.
Despite the optimism, expect Minnesota to approach his return with caution, as O'Connell expressed with his comments about the veteran pass-catcher taking part in "bits and pieces" of practice this week.
It's very exciting for McCarthy and the Vikings that Jefferson is back practicing, but the team also wants to make sure that he remains healthy for as long as possible this season.
With this in mind, don't be surprised if Minnesota places a pitch count on his snaps during the first part of their 2025 schedule, which means that the team improving its current wide receiver depth should still be a priority moving forward.