Questions Answered: Jefferson + Addison Injury Predictions, the Next TE for Vikings, 2025 Hall of Famer

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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the September 18th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].

Questions Answered: Jefferson + Addison Injury Predictions, the Next TE for Vikings, 2025 Hall of Famer

Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports. | Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) looks on during warmups before a wild card game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Q: What say you about Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison? Will they play on Sunday?

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Answer: We believe they’ll both play — but JJets “for sure.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Wednesday, “Vikings WR Justin Jefferson participated in today’s walk through, despite his quad injury. It looks as if he is on track to play Sunday vs. the Texans.”

And the day before Schefter’s tweet, Jefferson’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell, sounded rather optimistic about his chances of playing in Week 3, a battle of undefeateds at U.S. Bank Stadium between the Vikings and Houston Texans. “He’s doing well, though. He is doing really well, and he has responded really well to treatment early on, and we will see how his week kind of progresses,” O’Connell told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Tuesday.

O’Connell added about the LSU rivalry between Jets and Texans corner Derek Stingley Jr. “I wouldn’t discount the Stingley aspect of it, either. Those two, the LSU side of things. He’s becoming one of the premier cornerbacks in the league.”

Addison is more mysterious, but he should be good to go soon. All eyes head to Friday for the final injury report.

Q: With Nick Muse on IR, will the Vikings promote N’Keal Harry or Robert Tonyan?

Minnesota tight end Robert Tonyan addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center during Minicamp. Tonyan joined the Vikings’ roster this offseason after playing for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. He’s in line to perform tight end duties with T.J. Hockenson’s ongoing injury recovery.

A: That one is really tricky, but we’ll say Tonyan, foremost.

Muse will miss the next four games with a hand injury, and for now, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt are the only active tight ends on the roster. T.J. Hockenson should be back in about two weeks, but Tonyan or Harry could be promoted to the gameday roster in the meantime.

We won’t be surprised by either, but let’s predict Tonyan.

Sammis Reyes is also an undercover option.

Q: With all of these Hall of Fame nominees, who has the best chance at getting in first for the Vikings?

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) does a Lambeau Leap with fans Craig Lindsay, Nick Johnson and Chris Gangl against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. MIN won the game, 24-10. © Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Answer: Jared Allen … by a mile.

These Vikings are nominated for 2025 Hall of Fame consideration:

Gary Anderson

Jared Allen

Matt Birk

Randall Cunningham

Rich Gannon

Tony Richardson

Kevin Williams

Pat Williams

There is no good reason why Allen shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame already. It’s not a homer take to suggest it.

It’s Jared Allen without hesitation.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.