Justin Jefferson practices with Vikings for 1st time in 25 days - ESPN

EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson practiced Monday for the first time in 25 days as he continues to recover from the strained left hamstring he suffered last month.

Jefferson last practiced on the second day of training camp. His history with hamstring injuries — he missed seven games in 2023 because of a strain in his other leg — prompted the Vikings to take a slow approach to his recovery.

That continued Monday, when he participated in warmups and individual drills but sat out 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 team work. Jefferson won't play in the Vikings' preseason finale Friday night at the Tennessee Titans, but he remains on track to start their Week 1 game at the Chicago Bears (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) — a boon to the Vikings' otherwise depleted receiving corps.

At coach Kevin O'Connell's request, Jefferson had been on the sidelines for nearly every training camp practice, energizing the rest of the team while also giving pointers to other receivers. It appeared to be an enviable role given the drudgery of training camp, but Jefferson said: «I'm a kid at heart. I want to be out here with the guys. I want to be playing football and I want to be in the mix. I don't like to be the one only person standing on the side.

»It's not fun just working out with yourself and competing with yourself. So it is definitely tough at times mentally, but every day you just got to focus on the things that you need to focus on."

Jefferson spent some time during the layoff trying to figure out why his hamstrings have given him problems over the past two years.

«What I got from it is I'm different than a lot of other people,» he said. «The way I move, the way my body is positioned, the way I cut, the way I do everything is