The Minnesota Vikings appear one step closer to getting Pro Bowl CB Antoine Winfield back on the field. Vikings coach Brad Childress said Winfield was able to take part in practice Monday — a portion of practice that wasn’t open to the media — as the team returned from its bye week.

Winfield hasn’t played since suffering a sprained right foot in Week 6 against Baltimore, missing the two games prior to the Vikings’ bye.

“He’s like most of our guys; they are not trying to malinger or anything like that,” Childress said. “They are trying to get themselves back out there and get in the mix, and he’s no different. He’s pushed it as hard as he possibly can under doctors orders. The next part of it is getting out here and moving on this hard surface.”