Chad Greenway said fellow linebacker E.J. Henderson will make the trip to New Orleans this weekend for the NFC title game. Henderson has not gone on a trip with the team since suffering a broken left fibula in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' loss at Arizona on Dec. 6.

The middle linebacker has not spoken to the media since being injured but he was seen at Winter Park this week using crutches. "I talk to him every day just stay in touch with him," Greenway said. "He's in here rehabbing, doing all the thing he can do right now. It's just nice to have him around."

Greenway said Henderson's state of mind seems to be very good. "Absolutely. He's right there with us," Greenway said. "I've seen watching film with Jasper Brinkley [who replaced Henderson at middle linebacker]. I've seen him doing things like that trying to keep himself involved but also help improve what we're trying to do here as we finish the season."

This is the second consecutive year that Henderson has had his season ended early because of injury. But Greenway made it clear that many in the locker room look up to Henderson.

"When you lose a guy like him, and I think he's a guy that's almost [been] forgotten in this run we're on, he is such a pivotal part of this team," Greenway said. "Not only defense, I mean team. Everybody looks to him as a leader and when you lose a guy like that, especially on that kind of a stretch and position we were at in the season, it made it even harder. He's going down this weekend with us, it's going to be great to have him along on the trip and certainly will be movitational for us to get one for him as well."