Vikings News: Justin Jefferson to miss a minimum of 4 weeks

Less than 24 hours after Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell spoke about making sure star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is given a "big-picture plan" for his recovery from a hamstring injury he suffered this past Sunday, the team will reportedly place the All-Pro pass-catcher on injured reserve, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.

With the designation, Jefferson will be required to miss the next four games on the Vikings' schedule, at the very least.

This means Minnesota won't have him on the field when they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 6, the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9.

Jefferson suffered the hamstring injury during the fourth quarter of the Vikings' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past Sunday. O'Connell revealed on Monday that the young receiver was trying to get back into the game after his injury, but Minnesota prevented him from doing so.

With a 1-4 record after their first five games, Jefferson's injury is a major blow to the Vikings' chances of turning things around this season. This isn't to say they can't do it, but it's going to be much more difficult for Minnesota to win games during the next four weeks without their best player on the field.

But just as O'Connell said on Monday, the Vikings are going to do whatever is best for Jefferson, even if that results in the team adding more losses to their 1-4 record.