Getty Adam Thielen
Hope has been the word this week surrounding Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen‘s availability for Monday night’s primetime matchup with the Chicago Bears.
On Thursday, head coach Mike Zimmer said he is “hopeful” Thielen can play against the Bears after suffering a high-ankle sprain in a Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite his Christmas week wishes, Zimmer didn’t discount the possibility of elevating at least one wide receiver from the practice squad to the active roster with only Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn and fourth-round rookie Ihmir Smith-Marsette full participants in practice.
The Vikings signed veteran receivers Damion Ratley and Darrius Shepherd, joining Myron Mitchell on the practice squad, Wednesday to fill out their roster depth with Dan Chisena and Dede Westbrook landing on the COVID-19 list.
Thielen did not practice Thursday, but KSTP’s Darren Wolfson revealed more insight into Thielen’s recovery approaching a must-win on primetime.
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Thielen Making Progress
On an episode of SKOR North, Wolfson reported that Thielen is “making progress and could play” against the Bears.
PROGRESS: #Vikings WR Adam Thielen is making progress and could return against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football next week, per @DWolfsonKSTP.
The two-week turnaround for Thielen would be an incredible recovery for the 31-year-old receiver. Medical experts, unknowing of the specifics regarding Thielen’s high-ankle sprain, estimated at least a three-week absence and were concerned the injury could be season-ending.
An MRI revealed Thielen wouldn’t need surgery and has a chance to return this season.
“Some good news for the #Vikings on Adam Thielen’s high ankle sprain: A MRI showed he won’t need surgery, according to a source,” Star Tribune reporter Goessling tweeted on December 7. “Thielen should have a chance to return yet this season.”
When Thielen would return and what would be left to play for this season remained in question.
However, Minnesota squeezing out a 36-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers rekindled their playoff chances, placing the Vikings among five 6-7 teams contending for the final NFC Wild Card spot with four weeks left in the regular season.
Monday’s matchup with the lowly 4-9 Bears will have significant playoff implications. A win would boost Minnesota’s chances at the playoffs to 40%, while a loss would drop those chances to 9%, per FiveThirtyEight.
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Bears Among Most Coronavirus-Ravaged Teams
With nine players and four coaches absent from team activities due to placement on COVID-19 reserve lists, the Vikings are among the most ravaged teams this week.
However, the Bears are even more afflicted.
Chicago will be without three coordinators and as many as 20 players when they visit Minnesota this weekend. Star receiver Allen Robinson and safety Eddie Jackson were the latest additions to the team’s COVID-19 reserve list, which stands at 12 players as of Thursday, per the Chicago Sun-Times. Another eight Bears players are dealing with non-COVID-19 illnesses.
Any player on the list must produce two negative tests within a 24-hour window before returning to the active roster and team activities.
Backup running back Alexander Mattison is the only Vikings player officially ruled out of the game due to testing positive to COVID-19, while Westbrook and Chisena are the only other players on the active roster’s COVID-19 reserve list.
Practice squad running back A.J. Rose Jr., guard Kyle Hinton, wide receiver Trishton Jackson and Danielle Hunter, out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, are also on separate COVID-19 reserve lists for their respective placements.
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