Vikings' Justin Jefferson: Off IR, should play after bye week

The Vikings reinstated Jefferson (hamstring) from injured reserve Tuesday.

Jefferson was designated for return from IR on Nov. 8 after he missed the required four games due to a right hamstring strain, but he then proceeded to miss the Vikings' ensuing three contests. According to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, head coach Kevin O'Connell indicated that the star wideout was close to playing Monday, but with a bye on tap in Week 13, the Vikings ultimately erred on the side of caution. Since Jefferson's evaluation window was set to close Tuesday, the Vikings added him back to the 53-man roster with the expectation that he will be ready to play Dec. 10 against the Raiders. Assuming Jefferson is cleared for that contest, he'll be catching passes from someone other than Kirk Cousins (Achilles) for only the second game of his four-year career. Joshua Dobbs has started the Vikings' last three games but threw four interceptions in Monday's loss to the Bears, and O'Connell noted that he's taking the bye week to re-evaluate the quarterback situation. If Dobbs is removed from the starting role, veteran Nick Mullens or rookie Jaren Hall would be the candidates to step in as the new signal-caller.