Irv Smith Jr. Out For Vikings Against Bears, Cameron Dantzler Questionable

Second-year tight end Irv Smith Jr. will miss the Vikings' game against the Bears on Monday night with a groin injury, the team announced on Saturday. Rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who suffered a concussion against the Packers two weeks ago, is listed as questionable.

Update: Dantzler has been ruled OUT.

Losing Smith is a big blow for the Vikings. The Alabama product has been playing well this season, both as a secondary weapon in the passing game and as a blocker. He caught two touchdown passes last week in the Vikings' home victory over the Lions.

Smith has 13 catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns this season. He got off to a slow start, but had 64 and 55 yards in the Vikings' losses to the Seahawks and Falcons, respectively. Over the past two weeks, his run blocking has been a big part of paving the way for Dalvin Cook's huge games.

Without Smith, Tyler Conklin will get a chance to see extended snaps on Monday night. The former Central Michigan star is a solid third tight end who can hold his own as a blocker and receiver, but he doesn't have the same quickness and athleticism that Smith does. Kyle Rudolph, who has 14 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown, might be more involved in the passing game this week.

Dantzler was back at practice this week after missing the Lions game. He suffered a scary injury in Green Bay when his head snapped back and he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. If Dantzler is able to play, he would presumably rejoin Jeff Gladney and Kris Boyd in the starting lineup. If not, Chris Jones could be in line for a lot of playing time for the second straight game.

For the Bears, running back David Montgomery and backup QB Mitch Trubisky are among four players out. Chicago also has four players listed as questionable, including starters Jason Briggs and Allen Robinson. Here's the full injury report:

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