When Vikings safety Harrison Smith hurt his ankle in early December, there was some thought that he might be done for the rest of the regular season but Smith has remained on the active roster and he may yet return to the lineup.
Smith practiced on Thursday for the first time since getting injured and coach Mike Zimmer said, via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press that Smith moved well during his time on the field. The Vikings will practice again on Friday and Smith’s listing on the team’s final injury report will give an idea about whether a couple of days of practice will be enough for him to play against the Packers.
The Vikings also had wide receiver Stefon Diggs on the field Thursday after he missed Wednesday’s practice with a hip injury, but running back Adrian Peterson remained on the sideline. Peterson returned last Sunday after missing 11 games following knee surgery and the team is also listing him with a groin issue, which doesn’t make for a great outlook for Saturday’s game.
Zimmer didn’t offer anything to support or contradict that feeling, which leaves something else to look for on Friday.