On Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings suffered another heartbreaking loss, dropping their record to 1-4 this season.
To make matters worse, Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter on Sunday, and it forced him to miss the majority of the matchup's final quarter.
After the game, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell basically just confirmed that the receiver had suffered a hamstring injury against the Chiefs, and the team had to do more tests in order to figure out the severity of the injury.
Well, O'Connell spoke to the local Twin Cities media again on Monday, and he didn't make it seem like the Vikings would be getting Jefferson back on the field for their upcoming game against the Chicago Bears next Sunday.
"We're going to have to medically make a good decision and help almost protect him from himself a little bit in a way where we've got to take care of him to get him back to 100 percent."
O'Connell was asked a few more questions about Jefferson's injury, and the head coach continued to emphasize that rushing him back onto the field is not something Minnesota wants to do.
"We're going to do what's best for Justin and make sure we give him the treatment and a plan that is a big-picture positive for him."
As much as the Vikings would love to have Jefferson back out on the field next Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Minnesota also knows that making the playoffs this season is pretty close to being out of their reach with their current record of 1-4, so rushing their best player back onto the field for a few meaningless games doesn't make a ton of sense.
Using a phrase like "big picture" also makes it seem like the Vikings are already looking ahead to getting him as healthy as possible for 2024 and beyond, and getting him back in the lineup as quickly as possible this season isn't a top priority.
With Jefferson and the Vikings unable to agree to a contract extension earlier this year, how the team handles his current injury could also have a significant impact on his future with the franchise.
If the receiver feels, at any moment, like Minnesota doesn't have his best interest in mind, then he might be less interested in extending his tenure with the team.
But based on everything that O'Connell has said about the situation since Sunday, it doesn't seem like Jefferson has to worry about the Vikings lacking any concern about his current injury.