Justin Jefferson has been ramping up his workload this week in practice as he gets closer to returning to the field for the Vikings. Though he’s trending in the right direction as he recovers from the hamstring injury, it’s still unclear if the 24-year-old receiver will be available when the Vikings play the Broncos on Sunday night in Denver.

“I’m just trying to make sure that it doesn’t come back,” he said. “I’m doing the treatment every single day.”

Who has the final say on when he returns to the field?

“I’m the main person that’s going to make the decision at the end of the day,” Jefferson said. “I’m the person that’s going out there and putting my body on the line to win games and do things for this organization.”

In that same breath, however, Jefferson mentioned that he will work in concert with the team medical staff led by Tyler Williams and Uriah Myrie. The consensus from everybody involved is that Jefferson will not step foot onto the field until he is unquestionably back at 100 percent.

It’s been a slow build since the Vikings designated Jefferson to return from injured reserve last week. There’s a plan in place to ensure he doesn’t rush back and run the risk of a setback. As much as he understands being careful, Jefferson is  also raring to go after missing the past month.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I’m not going to lie.”

That frustration started soon after Jefferson sustained the hamstring injury during an Oct. 8 game the Vikings lost 27-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs. He has tried to get himself to think positive thoughts while he navigated an extended absence for the first time in his brief NFL career.

“It’s definitely tough to deal with every single week,” he said. “You want to be out there on that field.”

The biggest thing that has kept Jefferson’s spirits up is simply being around his teammates. They have centered him in tough moments as he has tirelessly attacked the recovery process.

The fact the Vikings are a perfect 5-0 since Jefferson got hurt has helped with the good vibes. He already is looking forward to playing with new quarterback Josh Dobbs, who has taken the NFL by storm of the past couple of weeks, captivating the state of Minnesota in the process.

After the Vikings put the finishing touches on last Sunday’s 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, Jefferson took to the website formerly known as Twitter to proclaim his excitement. Not even an hour after the game was over, Jefferson wrote, “I can not wait to get on the field with this team again!!!” He followed it up with a few emojis to hammer home the point.

That feeling has only intensified this week.

“I want to be on that field more than anything, competing with this team to win a Super Bowl,” Jefferson said. “It’s tough that I’ve been out for awhile now. It is what it is. I’m ready to get back out there.”

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