Inside The Vikings

Vikings-Bears Inactives: Adam Thielen Out for Minnesota With Ankle Injury

Thielen tested out the ankle before tonight's game against the Bears but won't be able to play.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings-Bears Inactives: Adam Thielen Out for Minnesota With Ankle Injury
Vikings-Bears Inactives: Adam Thielen Out for Minnesota With Ankle Injury

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen tested out his ankle injury on the Soldier Field turf Monday evening, but the decision was made to hold him out of another game as he recovers. Thielen is officially inactive for the Vikings' must-win matchup with the Bears tonight.

This will essentially be the third straight missed game for Thielen, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the opening minutes of the Vikings' Week 13 loss to the Lions. He unsurprisingly sat out the victory over the Steelers four days later, but the hope was he'd have a chance to play in Chicago. Now the focus turns to a potential return next Sunday in a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Without Thielen, Dede Westbrook, and Dan Chisena — the latter two are on the Reserve/COVID list — the Vikings' four active receivers for Monday Night Football are Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, and rookies Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Myron Mitchell. Smith-Marsette has just one catch this season, while Mitchell was elevated from the practice squad and will make his NFL debut. 

Luckily for the Vikings, the Bears are missing their entire starting secondary. They'll be relying on Kindle Vildor and a host of elevated practice squad players at cornerback, so Jefferson and Osborn could be in for big nights.

Also inactive for the Vikings are rookies Kellen Mond, Chazz Surratt, and Wyatt Davis, each of whom is more or less redshirting this year.

Inactive for the Bears are Jason Peters, Xavier Crawford, Marquise Goodwin, and Khyiris Tonga. Akiem Hicks and Roquan Smith are active.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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