Pro Bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice recently returned to the Twin Cities to begin his long rehabilitation after having hip surgery in Colorado.

Rice had surgery on his right hip and is expected to miss at least half of the season. Rice talked to Twin Cities reporters for the first time Monday as he passed through the locker room on his way for more rehab at Winter Park.

"I'm in here every day, sometimes twice a day," Rice said. "It's basically doing the same stuff. Feeling a lot better every day. Right now I have no restrictions. Today was the last day of restrictions."

Rice is still on crutches but he said that is more precautionary. He said he has "no soreness at all" in his hip, which he injured in the NFC Championship game.

"I can move my leg, everything like that," he said. "It's just staying on these things (crutches) right here for a little while. I had to keep the pressure off it and let everything heal up on the inside. I'll be on these for a couple more weeks and hopefully after that, it's just as soon as my muscles can start back to firing, I'll be back out there on the field." Rice, however, said it's too early to set a target date for his return. He was placed on the reserve/PUP list so he will miss at least the first six weeks.

"I don't know at this point," he said. "I can't play until after the sixth game so I at least know it will be that long. Right now I'm just focused on getting in here every morning and doing my rehab and doing what it takes to get back out there on the field." Rice said it was difficult watching the 14-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the season opener last Thursday. He said he watched the game on TV at his home with a few friends. "It's real tough," he said. "I want to be out there with my teammates. It's a great group of guys and I feel like I could have helped them out a little bit out there. It's tough not being out there."