Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice has been taken off the physically unable-to-perform list, allowing him to return to practice.
Coach Brad Childress announced Wednesday the decision regarding the former University of South Carolina star, who has been recovering from hip surgery in late August. The Vikings have up to three weeks to evaluate his progress before determining whether to put him on the active 53-man roster.
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Childress said Rice would run with the scout team in Wednesday's practice, and -- during individual drills while reporters were allowed to watch -- Rice appeared to move around well. His return has become more important to the Vikings following the surprise release this week of Randy Moss, who was claimed on waivers Wednesday by Tennessee.
"We'll just see how he progresses here. He's done everything that he can do from a rehabilitation standpoint," Childress said. "There's going to be a conditioning aspect that's got to be met. Obviously, football's a physical game: the pounding, running on the turf, the full-speed routes. We'll just see how he comes through that."
Rice, a fourth-year pro, had a breakout season last year, with 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns on 83 receptions, and was voted to his first Pro Bowl.
Wide receiver Percy Harvin, meanwhile, was held out of Wednesday's practice because of a left ankle sprain suffered Sunday at New England. His status for this week's game against Arizona is uncertain.
"If I'm able to give it a go and help my team, I'll definitely be out there," Harvin said.
Quarterback Brett Favre was on the field, but he didn't have a helmet and didn't participate in drills.
Favre's injury-report listing now includes three body parts: foot, ankle and chin. The elbow that bothered him earlier this season isn't currently a problem.
Favre said he passed his precautionary concussion tests following a hit he took Sunday from Patriots defensive tackle Myron Pryor that bloodied his chin and knocked him out of the game.
He said he's feeling "OK" despite waking up at 4 a.m. with throbbing pain in his left foot, which still has two broken bones in it.
"You know what? I probably should feel a lot worse,"' Favre said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
