Jefferson (ankle) will return to practice Thursday as a limited participant and said he expects to play Sunday against the Panthers, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.
Jefferson was surprisingly absent from Wednesday's practice due to the ankle injury, which he apparently picked up in last weekend's thrilling win over the Lions. Though the Vikings are taking things slowly with their top wideout heading into the team's Week 6 game in Carolina, Jefferson looks like he'll be ready to fill his usual high-volume role in the Minnesota passing attack come Sunday. Whether he carries a questionable designation into the contest will likely hinge on the extent of his participation in the team's final Week 6 practice session Friday.