The Vikings' seventh-ranked offense will get a couple reinforcements Sunday against the lowly Jaguars as guard Ezra Cleveland and receiver Adam Thielen are officially active.
Cleveland returns from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury he played through in the Nov. 16 win at Chicago. The second-round rookie has settled the Vikings' revolving door at right guard for the rest of this season, earning the job through four starts so far.
Thielen was cleared to return before Wednesday's practice and got in a full week after a 10-day quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test. The Vikings offense is nearly at full strength against the Jaguars, missing only tight end Irv Smith Jr. (back) and running back Alexander Mattison (appendicitis).
The Vikings want to be "smart" with running back Dalvin Cook's workload after his ankle injury last week, coach Mike Zimmer said, and Mattison's last-minute absence will test any plans to do so.
The Vikings defensive line will be without rookie end D.J. Wonnum due to back and ankle injuries, leading to potentially more work for Hercules Mata'afa behind starters Ifeadi Odenigbo and Jalyn Holmes.
Tight end Brandon Dillon and defensive end Eddie Yarbrough were elevated from the practice squad for Sunday.
Vikings' inactives: Mattison (appendicitis), Smith (back), Wonnum (back/ankle), WR Tajae Sharpe, OT Oli Udoh, S Curtis Riley and CB Dylan Mabin
Jaguars' inactives: LB Dakota Allen (hamstring), CB Sidney Jones (Achilles), DT DaVon Hamilton (knee), TE Ben Ellefson (knee), LB Kamalei Correa (hamstring) and QB Jake Luton
