Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Stefon Diggs missed his first game of the season in Week 9 action against the Detroit Lions due to a nagging rib injury that became a prevalent issue throughout the week of practice.

Despite that, Diggs recently told Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network on his podcast that he firmly believes that he will play this week against the Chicago Bears.

Diggs may have more confidence this time around given that he has had the benefit of an extended period of time to heal up coming off a Week 10 bye. This extra time may have been what he has needed to work through the injury and allow him to get the rest that he needed to get his body right.

This will give the Vikings back one of the primary weapons in the passing game that played a big part in helping the team possess one of the best passing attacks in the league. The star wideout currently has 58 catches for 587 receiving yards and four touchdowns, which includes three 100 receiving yard performances along with three games with 10 or more receptions. He is currently on pace to tally 103 receptions for 1,044 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. This would mark his first career 1,000 receiving yard campaign along with being the first time that he tallies more than 100 receptions.

The 24-year-old has proven to be an explosive playmaker for the Vikings along with being a largely reliable target in the red zone for Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins. If Minnesota hopes to compete for a Super Bowl this season, it will require Diggs to play a big part as he and Pro Bowl wideout Adam Thielen are a huge key to the team's success offensively. He may first have to get through practice this week, but it's clear that he has his eyes locked in on playing this week.