The Bears are preparing for Justin Jefferson to play Sunday, though it’s unclear if he will.
The Vikings’ star receiver practiced Thursday, albeit in a limited fashion, as he works his way back from injured reserve. He’s been out with a hamstring problem since Oct. 11 — right before the Vikings played, and beat, the Bears at Soldier Field. Jefferson participated in most of the Vikings’ walk-though on Wednesday, too.
The Vikings could wait another week to activate him. Jefferson seemed to indicate he wouldn’t return until he felt ready when he wrote on social media Tuesday that “my health is wayyyy more important than you winning your fantasy games.”
“[The Vikings] just have certain coverages for him,” safety Jaquan Brisker said this week. “Go off film from last year, go off film from the beginning of the year. We know where he lines up, we know what kind of offense they run when he’s in.”
Asked what makes Jefferson special, Brisker sounded as if he didn’t want to give Jefferson — who led the NFL with 128 catches and 1,809 receiving yards last season — too much credit.
“They move him around and they give him the ball,” Brisker said. “He’s just another player to me. To other guys, he’s special.”
Jefferson simply tortures the Bears. In six games, he has 41 catches for 585 yards and two touchdowns against them. Since 2020, the next-closest receiver in terms of yards, Packers-star-turned-Raiders-standout Davante Adams, has 317 yards. No one else has half as many yards as Jefferson.
Edmunds ready for more
Middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds played two-thirds of the Bears’ defensive snaps in his return from a knee injury but said he’s ready for a heavier workload.
“Whatever was my role on Sunday, I just wanted to help my team the best way that I could,” he said. “Unselfishly, I just wanted to be out there and contribute no matter what it looked like. That’ was very important to me just to be out there with the guys, to get my feet wet again and to move around. It felt good.”
Edmunds intercepted a tipped pass but missed a tackle on Jahmyr Gibbs that contributed to the Lions’ rally.
This and that
• Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (ribs) and cornerback Akayleb Evans (calf) were limited in practice. Backup quarterbacks Nick Mullens (back) and Jaren Hall (concussion) practiced in full.
• Fullback Khari Blasingame is nursing a shoulder injury but would have practiced in full Thursday.
• The Bears will hold full practices on Friday and Saturday after practicing Wednesday and having a walk-through Thursday because of Thanksgiving.