Last week, the Minnesota Vikings took the field without Stephon Gilmore for the first time this season after a hamstring injury kept the veteran cornerback out of action. Well, based on the injury report Minnesota released on Friday, Gilmore's injured hamstring is probably going to keep him off the field for the team's game on Monday against the Chicago Bears.
Friday's #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/I0gnXgcRXo
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 13, 2024
Without Gilmore last week, the Vikings gave up 338 passing yards to the Atlanta Falcons, which is the second-most Minnesota has given up in a single game this season. The good news is that the Vikings will be taking on a Bears team on Monday that ranks 31st in the NFL this year in net passing yards per attempt.
Outside of Stephon Gilmore, majority of Minnesota Vikings roster seems healthy for Week 15 vs. the Chicago Bears
While it's disappointing that Gilmore could be sidelined for the second contest in a row, Minnesota's updated injury report on Friday did feature some good news.
After being listed as limited with a back injury on Thursday, Vikings running back Aaron Jones was a full participant in the team's practice on Friday. Outside linebackers Pat Jones II (knee) and Andrew Van Ginkel (hip) also got in full practices on Friday after both were listed as limited on Thursday.
Monday's matchup with a 4-9 Chicago team is shaping up to be one of Minnesota's most winnable games of the season. But divisional contests can get kind of weird at times, so it's good that the Vikings are likely going to have the majority of their top players on the field when they face the Bears.
Just a few weeks ago, Minnesota needed a field goal in overtime to get a win over Chicago on the road. However, the Bears fired their head coach since the last time they faced the Vikings, and in their first game with Thomas Brown as the team's interim head coach last Sunday, Chicago looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL.
The Bears will probably perform a little better on Monday than they did last week, but it would still be incredibly shocking if Minnesota didn't leave the contest with a victory.