Justin Jefferson will not play the Packers in Week 8

On Tuesday morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Minnesota Vikings will be placing Pro Bowl receiver Justin Jefferson on the injured reserve, which will cost him at least the next four weeks of action. Jefferson injured his hamstring in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

As Pelissero noted, there is no real timetable with a hamstring injury, as the Vikings will simply adjust their expectations as Jefferson’s recovery progresses.

If there’s any group of people who you don’t need to explain the finicky world of hamstring injuries to, it’s Green Bay Packers fans. After losing receiver Christian Watson to a hamstring injury at the start of the season, the Packers are now currently dealing with running back Aaron Jones’ reaggravated hamstring — which cost him an appearance on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders last night.

The Vikings will be playing at Lambeau Field in Week 8, just three weeks from now, which means that Jefferson is going to miss his next contest against the Packers. Based on NFL rules, a player placed on injured reserve must spend at least four weeks off of the active roster before he’s allowed to be reactivated.

Jefferson versus Green Bay has become must-watch entertainment for NFL fans league-wide, after the back-and-forth between the receiver and Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander last season. In the 2022 season opener, Jefferson caught nine balls for 184 yards and two touchdowns, with most of those yards coming on coverage busts. In Week 17, the rematch, Alexander traveled with Jefferson more often than he usually trails top receivers, leading to just a one-reception, 15-yard performance from the Viking standout.

Alexander also hit the griddy — Jefferson’s signature dance — after forcing an incompletion past the sticks on a Jefferson target in the Week 17 matchup. That was maybe the highlight of a disappointing season for Packers fans last year.

In all likelihood, the next time Jefferson will play Green Bay will be on New Year’s Eve, when the Packers will take a trip to U.S. Bank Stadium. If you’re looking to see who is going to break the tie-breaker in the Jefferson vs. Alexander matchup, you’re going to have to wait until at least then.