Phillips emphasized Jefferson’s leadership even during his absence from full practice, stating, “When you’re not practicing, when you’re not in there — he’s out there at practice, he’s encouraging the guys. There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm just throughout the whole process.” He added that Jefferson’s presence—ramping up on the other side of the field while recovering—was impressive both in spirit and execution.
More concretely, Phillips indicated a promising shift in Jefferson’s status when he noted that the receiver was omitted from the Thursday practice report—suggesting he may be ready for Week 1, which begins Monday night.
In a related update from two weeks ago, Jefferson returned to practice—participating in individual drills—with the team targeting his full return in time for the regular-season debut. “He’s feeling great and targeting the season opener on September 8 against the Chicago Bears as his comeback date,” O’Connell confirmed.
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The team’s optimism around Jefferson’s return reflects both his elite on-field talent—he remains one of the NFL’s most consistently productive receivers—and his leadership presence off the field. Let me know if you’d like more context or breakdowns of his past performance, injury history, or role in the Vikings’ offensive game plan this season!
