Justin Jefferson hopes to hit the field this Sunday when the Vikings roll into the Superdome to face the Saints, and let me tell you, it’s not just any game for him. This guy’s hometown, St. Rose, Louisiana, is only about 30 minutes from New Orleans, and he’s been absolutely “fiending” to play in front of his people. He sprained his ankle way back in Week 3 against the Buccaneers, forcing him to sit out last weekend’s win over the Dolphins. But after practicing in a limited capacity on Wednesday, there’s a real buzz that he might be back.
The Superdome Return That’s Been Years in the Making
Jefferson sounds confident, saying he feels “real good” and the “plan is for me to play” if everything checks out. He’s been taking it “day by day,” and knows that “ankles are a little bit tricky,” so he’s hitting the treatment room constantly, making sure it feels better every single day. The thought of finally playing in a packed Superdome is huge for him. He’s only played in New Orleans once before, way back in his rookie 2020 season, but it was with a super limited crowd because of the pandemic. Their 2022 game against the Saints? That was played in London. Can you imagine how fired up he is to give a show to his friends, family, and all those LSU fans who’ve been watching him for ages? He wants to play, saying he’s “definitely been fiending for it, for sure.”
Ankle Tweak, 4-0 Start, and the OBJ Buzz
That ankle tweak happened on his second catch of the Vikings’ first drive against the Buccaneers. He got tackled by “four or five” players, including the massive 350-pound defensive tackle Vita Vea. He “felt a little tweak,” tried to tape it up to get back in, but there was “a little bit of weakness.” X-rays were all good, thankfully, so it’s just been about getting the soreness and swelling out. The Vikings are sitting pretty at 4-0 right now, and they’ve even got a bye week coming up right after this Saints game. You’d think that might make them lean towards sitting him if he’s not 100 percent, right? But Jefferson absolutely hates missing games. “I hate missing games,” he said. “I hated missing last week; I wanted to be out there last week. Especially at home.” He admits “they’ve been holding me back a little bit, just not trying to force anything.” Add to all this the news that the Vikings are signing free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to their practice squad, and the energy around the team is wild. Jefferson himself is “fired up” about the OBJ addition, apparently at the very top of the list of excited people, including Coach Kevin O’Connell.
This Sunday, everything is on the line for Jefferson as he pushes to play in his long-awaited homecoming game. Will his ankle let him give his friends and family the show he’s been dreaming of? Or will the Vikings play it safe with that 4-0 record and the bye week looming? We’ll all be watching to see if he’s rockin’ and rollin’ in the Superdome.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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