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Kyle Rudolph, Harrison Smith cleared to play for Vikings

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and safety Harrison Smith have passed concussion protocols and have been cleared to play.

Dilip Vishwanat

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and safety Harrison Smith have both been cleared to play after suffering concussions against the Chicago Bears, according to 1500ESPN.com's Tom Pelissero.

Rudolph left Week 12's loss against the Bears after getting drilled by linebacker Lance Briggs on a third-down play in the red zone. While Rudolph was cleared for the concussion, the tight end was expected to miss Wednesday's practice because of a shoulder strain.

Smith suffered his concussion after knocking Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett out of bounds in the third quarter. Smith said he actually passed a concussion test after the game, but that he was held out for precautionary reasons. The safety also suffered a concussion back in 2008 at Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Percy Harvin is slowly but surely increasing his workload. Harvin sprained his ankle on Nov. 4 against the Seattle Seahawks and has missed the Vikings' last two games.

Star running back Adrian Peterson may be limited in practice as he recovers from a shoulder strain suffered in the loss to the Bears.

Minnesota faces the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.