Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield expressed optimism after today's practice that he will be able to play Sunday against Seattle after missing the past three games but he did not guarantee that he will return.
"As far as I'm concerned, yes," I have the green light, Winfield said. "It's been a while since I've been on the field. I'm anxious to get back out there. But I definitely will play it smart. If I get out there on Sunday and it's not feeling too good I might not be out there."
Winfield injured his foot in the Vikings' victory over Baltimore on Oct. 18 and returned to practice last week on a limited basis. Today, he again was limited, although he was doing all the individual drills during the time the media was allowed to watch. "I feel good," he said. "I got out here, went through the individuals, did the group session, did some running on my own. Just to feel it out, see if I could plant and run. It feels pretty good."
Winfield admitted it has been tough to miss the time but said the fact the Vikings are 8-1 helps matters. Winfield also said he learned plenty from two years ago when he rushed back from a hamstring injury and ended up missing more time after re-injuring it. "I learned a lot," he said. "[When I] did it again and that was two more weeks. That's why they are holding me out now. Move me along slowly but make sure I come back as close to 100 percent as possible." As for the rest of the injury report, defensive tackle Fred Evans did not at practice and was listed as having an illness. Brett Favre (hip/groin), wide receiver Bernard Berrian (hamstring), cornerback Benny Sapp (groin) and fullback Fahu Tahi (ankle) were limited.
