Justin Jefferson gets closer to returning, but Vikings will make sure he's completely healthy first

Justin Jefferson was "a major part" of the Vikings' Wednesday walk-through, is "getting closer" to returning and is "feeling really, really good," said coach Kevin O'Connell, the man faced with weighing the urgency of winning a division game on Monday night against the cautious decision to give his best player's hamstring another two weeks to heal before returning after the bye.

"We have urgency to win this football game," O'Connell said of Monday night's game against Chicago at U.S. Bank Stadium. "We're just not going to allow that to distract us from the fact that we started out with some really strong principles in making sure Justin was at a good place and 100% healthy when he returns. … We're not going to allow any other outside circumstances or even the circumstances of our team to drive that situation in any way, shape or form."

O'Connell said Jefferson was scheduled to get a little more field work Wednesday afternoon and participate in a Thursday morning practice before players are given the rest of the day off for Thanksgiving. The Vikings are 5-1 without Jefferson but are coming off a 21-20 loss at Denver and are trying to go 3-0 in the division against a Bears team that's 0-1 against the Vikings but did lead the NFC North-leading Lions by 12 points with three minutes left before losing at Detroit last week.

"Until we feel he's [ready], which could come [Thursday] or it could come just in time for Monday night or maybe it's post-bye, I think we're going to just continue to be smart," O'Connell said.

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs is looking forward to playing with Jefferson for the first time.

"He's been [practicing] a little bit so we've had a chance to get some work together," Dobbs said. "That will ramp up. Whenever he plays in a game, we will have had the adequate reps to be on the same page and be locked in to go play some good football."

O'Connell said the NFL offered no explanation for how officials missed penalizing Broncos safety Kareem Jackson for lowering his helmet to initiate contact with Dobbs on the hit that got Jackson suspended for another four games on Monday.

"I got a ton of respect for Kareem as a player," O'Connell said. "He's always been somebody that I've really admired how he plays. He plays physical, he plays all-out. … I have absolutely nothing against the player personally. We're moving forward."

Jackson served a two-game suspension earlier this season for a similar infraction. The hit on Dobbs helped create one of three critical takeaways for the Broncos.

"I would have liked to have seen a flag thrown on the play if it was that type of hit [to warrant a suspension]," Dobbs said. "But at the end of the day I can't live in a world where I'm trying to get bailed out for fumbling the ball by the refs."

O'Connell gave a lengthy, winding response when asked directly if Alexander Mattison's latest fumble would reduce his touches this week. While O'Connell didn't answer the question, his words hinted at the possibility that it will.

"It's very important that our guys understand how important it is to possess the football," O'Connell said. "We have to be critical and make sure there is an accountability factor there."

O'Connell said he's happy and certainly not surprised that defensive coordinator Brian Flores is gaining traction as a head coaching candidate after how he's turned around the Vikings defense in his first year with the team.

"I've really enjoyed watching how he's brought out the best in some of our core players," O'Connell said. "Getting to see guys like Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum having the seasons they're having. Harrison Smith … I think all Vikings fans were excited to see '22' down around the line of scrimmage, pressuring again, being a part of some of those things. As was I."

The Vikings signed former Michigan receiver Daylen Baldwin to the practice squad. The 2022 undrafted free agent spent most of his rookie season on Cleveland's practice squad, but appeared in one game, catching two passes for 25 yards in a 13-3 win over the Ravens.