On November 21, 2023, Justin Jefferson announced that he will return to the Minnesota Vikings once he is fully healthy, despite requests from fantasy football managers for him to play. Jefferson emphasized that his health is more important than the outcome of fantasy games and that he will not be swayed by messages from fans asking him to return.

The star wide receiver has been on the injured reserve list since suffering a right hamstring injury in Week 5. Both Jefferson and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell have stated that he will not return until he is completely recovered. O’Connell noted that the team was ramping up Jefferson’s recovery and suggested that Jefferson might not play in the upcoming Monday night game against the Chicago Bears, in order to take advantage of the bye week that follows. Since Jefferson’s 21-day practice window opened on November 8, joining the team could give him a total of eight weeks off if he does not return until the December 10 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN contributed to this report.