EAGAN, Minn. -- The Vikings officially placed receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve Wednesday but are convinced he will return from a significantly strained hamstring later this season.
Asked whether he anticipated Jefferson missing the rest of the season because of the injury, coach Kevin O'Connell said: "I do not."
O'Connell said that Jefferson is feeling relatively well but declined to provide a more specific timeline other than the four weeks mandated by the NFL's rules for players on injured reserve.
"With hamstrings, I don't want to speculate on exactly when it will be," O'Connell said. "But I know he feels pretty good considering where some guys feel at this point in the process, having been [injured] just this past Sunday. It's just going to be about all that entails to go through the process to where he can have some time to start feeling like he can be at full speed again, as explosive as he is, and that will be a process he'll work through, and hopefully we can get that window opened and we'll see where he's at."
To add to their depth, the Vikings signed receivers N'Keal Harry and Trishton Jackson from their practice squad. They also placed backup quarterback Nick Mullens (back) on injured reserve and signed veteran quarterback Sean Mannion to the practice squad. As with Jefferson, O'Connell said he anticipated Mullens being ready to return later this season. Rookie Jaren Hall will be the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Kirk Cousins.
