How Justin Jefferson, ‘scared’ of another costly injury, is working with Vikings to prevent one

EAGAN, Minn. — A $140 million contract extension can buy you a lot of things as an NFL player. But it can’t pay your way out of a costly injury. If there’s anything the Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Justin Jefferson know as they approach the 2024 season, it’s that.

This is why Minnesota’s $35 million-per-season receiver was on a bit of a mileage count this week, taking a veteran rest day Wednesday and then rolling that into the team’s day off Thursday as the Vikings and Jefferson have been carefully handling his health in training camp. It’s all in an effort to avoid repeating something like last season’s torn right hamstring, which cost Jefferson seven games and introduced the young wideout to something that he’d never experienced in the expanse of his football career: sitting when his team needed him more than ever.

The response? Some early load management for the 25-year-old, whose early camp wear and tear is being monitored on a daily basis in hopes of making sure he’s available for a 17-game season.

“I’m so scared for it to happen again, I’ve been overly cautious about it,” Jefferson said Friday about his hamstring injury last season. “Just trying to take care of my body in the right way. Just trying to find new ways and new things that I can implement on my day to day life that would better help me throughout the season. I’ve definitely been working on my hamstrings a little bit more and making sure I’m injury proof.”

Part of that effort resulted in the back-to-back days off this week, as the Vikings have begun trying to get him the camp recovery time that more and more teams are starting to recognize as vital for injury avoidance. Often thought of as a means to keep older veterans on a career-extending pitch count, strength and conditioning staffs, as well as coaching staffs and front offices, are leaning more into resting their young stars than ever before in camp, trying to stave off injuries both big and small later…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-03 16:05:56

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