After sitting out last week's win over the Seattle Seahawks with a foot injury, veteran safety Harrison Smith is not among the Minnesota Vikings inactives for the team's Week 17 showdown against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Smith was able to get in two full practices this week, and he wasn't given a game status designation for Sunday's matchup on the final injury report that Minnesota released on Friday.
In addition to the Vikings getting their All-Pro safety back this weekend, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. will also be back on the field for the first time since Week 12 after he was removed from injured reserve and added to the active roster on Saturday. Pace has been excellent against the run this season, so his return should help Minnesota in its attempt to slow down Packers running back Josh Jacobs on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings inactives for Week 17 vs. the Green Bay Packers
On the other sideline, Green Bay's roster is definitely a bit more banged up than Minnesota's heading into this weekend's NFC North battle.
Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, linebacker Quay Walker, safety Evan Williams, and tight end Andre Dillard have already been ruled out for the contest, and wide receiver Christian Watson is not expected to play on Sunday because of a knee injury.
How much of a factor will the health of each team's roster be this weekend? We'll just have to wait and find out when Minnesota and Green Bay meet inside U.S. Bank Stadium at 3:25 p.m. CST on Sunday.
Vikings Inactives for Week 17
Dan Feeney - OL
Fabian Moreau - CB
Levi Drake Rodriguez - DL
Walter Rouse - OT
Brett Rypien - QB (Emergency QB3)
Packers Inactives for Week 17
Jaire Alexander - CB
Omar Brown - S
Andre Dillard - OT
Quay Walker - LB
Christian Watson - WR
Evan Williams - S