Kevin O’Connell insinuates Justin Jefferson being targeted with dirty hits

After Justin Jefferson got laid out against the Colts, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear that the dirty hits seem to be piling up on purpose.

During the epic comeback from the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Dec. 17 as they erased a 33-0 deficit to force overtime and beat the Colts, there was a scary moment for star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. As he went over the middle and jumped for a catch, Indianapolis cornerback Stephon Gilmore delivered a vicious hit that caused him to briefly have to leave the game.

Gilmore, however, was penalized but not ejected from the game. And thankfully, Jefferson was able to return and continue his monster performance as part of the comeback.

On the heels of the win, however, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell updated the media on Monday saying that Jefferson was good to go but then made a claim that he did not believe that many of the big hits that the star receiver has taken lately don’t appear to be an accident.

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell: Hits on Justin Jefferson not an accident

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero furthered that sentiment as he reported thereafter that Minnesota players and coaches were furious after the Gilmore hit and wanted the former Defensive Player of the Year to be ejected, which was obviously not the decision made by the officials.

Because of Jefferson’s willingness to go over the middle against defenses, he does leave himself susceptible to big hits. At the same time, though, if O’Connell and other members of the Vikings are seeing an uptick in these dangerous hits, maybe there is something to their claims.

Even with that, Jefferson has remained healthy and is putting forth a truly unreal performance this season. Through 14 games, the 2020 first-round pick leads the NFL with 111 receptions for 1,623 yards. He also has seven touchdowns to his credit as well.

Let’s hope that these big hits on the wide receiver don’t take their toll or knock him out, though, because the 23-year-old is putting up a remarkable start to his career that any fan should want to see continued.