Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore was not seen on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium about two to three hours before Monday night's kickoff against the Bears, or when players would typically run through a pregame workout under the watch of the team's athletic training staff.

Coach Kevin O'Connell said whether Gilmore, who was listed as questionable because of the injury, would even go through a pregame workout would be determined by how he responded to limited practice reps on Saturday — his only practice appearance since suffering the injury on Dec. 1 against Arizona.

It appears Gilmore didn't get that far. He'll miss a second consecutive game as he's among the team's inactives.

The Vikings defense will continue to lean more on cornerbacks Shaq Griffin and Fabian Moreau, who are playing elevated roles in Gilmore's absence.

They're focused on better containing rookie Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw for 340 yards and ran for another 33 yards during the Vikings' Nov. 24 overtime win in Chicago. Williams helped erase an 11-point Vikings lead late in the fourth quarter with his mobility that bought time for his receivers downfield.

"His elusiveness was real," O'Connell said Saturday. "We had free runners multiple times in the game that ended up being really positive plays for the Bears offense. … I think we're gonna have to do a much better job this time around trying to keep him in the pocket."

Edge rusher Pat Jones II is returning from a one-game absence because of a knee injury. The former 2021 third-round pick out of Pittsburgh has developed into a key rotational player on the defensive line, setting a career high with seven sacks as a pass rusher while serving as one of their more physical perimeter run defenders.

The Bears — losers of seven consecutive games — will be without a handful of contributors, including starters in left tackle Braxton Jones and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. Running back D'Andre Swift is active after being listed as questionable and missing two days of practice.

Vikings edge rushers will face Bears rookie third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie, who will get his first NFL start at left tackle on "Monday Night Football."

Vikings inactives: Gilmore (hamstring), DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, OL Walter Rouse, OL Dan Feeney

Bears inactives: OL Ryan Bates (concussion), DT Gervon Dexter Sr. (knee), RB Roschon Johnson (concussion), OT Braxton Jones (concussion), DB Ameer Speed, LB Noah Sewell

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