Justin Jefferson Crystal Clear on Who Holds Final Say in His Return

Justin Jefferson is very close to a return to the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster and starting lineup. You could feel his anticipation, as he answered questions from reporters on Thursday afternoon, in what might have been the most interesting minute of any Vikings interview this season.

Justin Jefferson “ready to get back out there”…?

He may have even let it slip just how optimistic he is feeling about his potential return this weekend vs the Denver Broncos. When answering a question about how difficult it has been to sit out the last handful of games with his teammates going on a tear without him, Jefferson sure sounded like he’ll be back on the field this weekend.

“I want to be on the field more than anything competing with this team and competing to win a Super Bowl. So it’s tough that I’ve been out for for a while now. But, you know, it is what it is and I’m ready to get back out there.“

Related: How Much Will Kirk Cousins Cost; Could Vikings Get Discount?

That quote came right before the next most interesting portion of his Q & A from today, when a reporter asked JJ who will make the final decision on when he takes the field again. Jefferson left nothing to the imagination, in his answer this time. Others will weigh in and he will listen but only he holds final say.

Justin Jefferson just had possibly the most interesting 1-minute of a #Vikings press conference all season… pic.twitter.com/jGKXjeoWbr

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 16, 2023

Reporter: “When the decision gets made to bring [you back], is it going to be solely a medical decision or is it a group discussion? What have you been told about how and who is going to make that decision?”

JJ: “Well, I’m the main person that’s going to make the decision. At the end of the day, you know, I’m the person that’s going out there running. I’m the person that’s going out there and putting my body on the line to, you know, to win games and do things for this organization.

So I know how I feel. I know how my hamstring is feeling. So of course, we’re going to, you know, weigh in on all of the differing opinions and what everyone has to say. But at the end of the day, I’m the one that’s going out there and putting my body on the line.”

Stay tuned….

There you have it. Justin Jefferson may have given away his playing status away, for this weekend, but it’s hard to tell. In real time, reporters didn’t catch the, “and I’m ready to get back out there”, so they never went back to it.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Vikings Keep Winning, Despite Injuries and Slow Start

According to Darren Wolfson (KSTP, SKOR North) on Thursday’s episode of Mackey & Judd, Jefferson’s hamstring has been feeling really good.

The plan today at practice (around 2:00 PM) is to run it through more rigorous testing that includes cutting and breaking in/out of routes and how he handles it will have a lot to do with his playing status for Sunday night vs the Broncos.

Justin Jefferson never heard of Creed

JJ’s press conference ended on a much lighter note, when he was asked if he had ever listened to Creed before Kirk Cousins started playing it and Josh Dobbs carried it forward. the 24-year-old superstar admitted he had never even heard of Creed until Kirk busted them out.

#Vikings WR Justin Jefferson was asked if he was a big Creed fan growing up.

“No I was not. The only creed I knew was the boxing movie. I didn’t know about Creed until Kirk Cousins started playing it in the locker room.” pic.twitter.com/inAIbg2PPi

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 16, 2023