After the Minnesota Vikings placed superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson on injured reserve Wednesday, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell dished on the severity of the injury.

O'Connell said that he does not believe Jefferson's hamstring injury is season-ending, though he would not say how long the Vikings expect the All-Pro to be out, according to Kevin Seifert.

Jefferson will have to miss at least four games after being placed on IR, meaning the earliest he can return is a Week 10 tilt with the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 12. Hamstring injuries are never a sure thing to fully recover from though, even with a month out of game action.

When Jefferson will return also might depend on where the Vikings stand in the playoff race by Week 10. Minnesota is out to a 1-4 start after winning 13 games last season. The schedule lightens up a bit after a clash with the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers on Monday, but the Vikings still have their work cut out for them if they want to reach the playoffs.

Losing Justin Jefferson is perhaps the biggest injury blow any team has suffered this season, but the Vikings do have some talent behind him at the wide receiver position to keep their offense afloat. Their pass-heavy offense may dip into the run game a little more with Jefferson's absence, but the emergence of rookie wideout Jordan Addison and the chemistry between Kirk Cousins and weapons KJ Osborn and TJ Hockenson should see the Vikings still sling it around the field.

Jefferson did not miss a game through his first three NFL seasons, but he'll be on the shelf for at least four games with his hamstring injury.