CHICAGO — Head coach Kevin O'Connell said playing time adjustments will be more "subtle" than outright benching starters, but the Vikings will not have two defensive starters in edge rusher Za'Darius Smith (personal matter) and safety Harrison Smith (knee).
Vikings-Bears inactives: Za'Darius Smith will not play in regular season finale
Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is also active for his first game alongside tight end T.J. Hockenson.
January 8, 2023 at 4:36PM
Smith, who has been battling a knee injury for much of this season, will not play after traveling separately from the team due to a personal matter. He was listed questionable to play after missing Friday's practice. Rookie Luiji Vilain is active for the first time since he surrendered pressure that led to a blocked punt against the Colts. He'll provide depth behind Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones II.
Safety Harrison Smith will not play after the team ruled him out on Saturday, saying in a statement that Smith "began experiencing knee soreness Friday afternoon." Smith hasn't been on an official injury report since a neck issue was listed ahead of the Dec. 17 win against the Colts.
Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is also active for his first game alongside tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was acquired via trade just days after Smith suffered a high ankle sprain on Oct. 30 against the Cardinals.
Za'Darius Smith finishes the regular season with 10 sacks, which triggered a $500,000 incentive (for reaching 8 1⁄2 sacks) but misses out on another $250,000 if he had reached 10 1⁄2 sacks on the season.
The Vikings will likely limit workloads for injured players as they've done for the past couple weeks. Linebackers Jordan Hicks (ankle) and Eric Kendricks (hip) have rotated out of games, opening up a role for rookie Brian Asamoah. But Asamoah injured his knee against the Packers and will not play in Chicago.
Linebackers Troy Dye, William Kwenkeu and Ryan Connelly will be available behind the starters.
Center Garrett Bradbury will miss a fifth straight game due to a lower back injury. Bradbury has not practiced since a Dec. 17 car accident, which he told the Star Tribune this week was something that "really set me back" as he's been out since Dec. 4. Bradbury said he's hoping to be ready for the opening playoff game.
"That's the goal," Bradbury said Thursday. "The hard thing to do, and what I'm trying not to do, is look at that and be like, 'I got to be ready.' They're like, 'Let's take it one day at a time, let's not have any setbacks. Keep progressing each day.'
Chris Reed — the veteran guard and No. 3 center — will make his first NFL start at center against the Bears.
With Reed, the Vikings were flagged twice for false starts against the Packers due to snapping issues. Reed said the week of practices has been vital for his comfort with Cousins, who had primarily worked with Bradbury and Austin Schlottmann — the primary backup who suffered a leg fracture last week.
"Just getting the timing memorized and everything," Reed said. "Hearing it, and actually do it while I'm also making [protection] calls and other things like that. It all helps."
Defensive lineman James Lynch will miss a second straight game due to a shoulder injury.
Dynamic Bears quarterback Justin Fields will not play because of a hip injury. Quarterback Nathan Peterman will get his first start since 2018 as the third Bears passer to start a game this season.
Vikings' inactives: Bradbury (back), Lynch (shoulder), H. Smith (knee), Z. Smith (personal), CB Cameron Dantzler (ankle), DL Ross Blacklock and Asamoah (knee)
Bears' inactives: Fields (hip), DB Jaylon Jones (concussion), LB Sterling Weatherford (illness), RB Darrynton Evans, DB Kyler Gordon, DL Angelo Blackson and LB Terrell Lewis
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
