MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Austin CaldwellMinnesota Vikings ruled wide receiver Justin Jefferson out of their Monday night game against Chicago about four hours ahead of kickoff, taking the cautious route and keeping the All-Pro sidelined for a seventh straight game.

The Vikings listed Jefferson as questionable on the final scheduled injury report for the third straight week, but the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year was officially downgraded to out.

Jefferson returned to practice on Nov. 8, but with Minnesota’s bye on the schedule this weekend, the opportunity to give him extra time for his hamstring injury to heal clearly was appealing.

If Jefferson is not activated from injured reserve next week, he’d be ineligible to play the rest of the season. The Vikings next play Dec. 10 at Las Vegas.

The Vikings also elevated linebacker Anthony Barr to the practice squad for the game against the Bears. Starting cornerback Akayleb Evans (calf) was inactive, along with third quarterback Jaren Hall, tight end Nick Muse, linebacker Nick Vigil, guard Chris Reed and tackle Hakeem Adeniji.

The Bears had third quarterback Nathan Peterman, running back D’Onta Foreman (ankle/shin), safety Quindell Johnson, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, linebacker Noah Sewell (knee), tackle Larry Borom (illness) and defensive end Dominique Robinson inactive.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL