EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Chester Taylor has always dreamed of the day he would return to his hometown of Detroit as a starting running back in the NFL.
For the second straight year, that triumphant return is in danger of being derailed.
Taylor did some rehab work in the pool on Wednesday and was limited in practice due to a hip injury he got in the first quarter of Minnesota's opener against Atlanta.
"I'm just taking it day by day, come out here and do a little something," Taylor said.
The only game Taylor missed last year in his first season as a starter was Week 13 at Detroit, when more than 30 friends and family left Ford Field disappointed when Taylor was deactivated with an injury.
"I usually treat every game the same but it's a little bit more going home and have all your family there," Taylor said. "You want to go out there and play."
The nature of his injury seems to change by the day as well. After the game on Sunday, Taylor was listed with a bruised hip. But on Monday it changed to a strained oblique and by Wednesday it was back to a hip injury.
"There is a lot of stuff on my body I don't know about," Taylor said when asked about the oblique. "That's one of them."
Taylor rushed for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns in his first full season as a starter last year. But after wearing down toward the end as his carries climbed over the 300 mark, the Vikings selected Adrian Peterson with the No. 7 overall pick in April to take some of the load off of Taylor.
Peterson did more than that in his regular season debut. He rushed for 103 yards and turned a screen pass into a 60-yard touchdown in the 24-3 victory over the Falcons.
Coach Brad Childress said it will be Taylor's health, not the performance of Peterson, that will dictate whether Taylor plays on Sunday against the Lions or not.
"His body will talk to him and he's dealing with the trainers," Childress said. "It's not that I won't talk to him, but he'll know and I'll know by watching him. We don't ever want to put anybody out there that can't defend themselves."
Fullback Tony Richardson (forearm), fullback Naufahu Tahi (ankle) and safety Mike Doss (calf) were also limited in practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Vinny Ciurciu (hand) and receiver Robert Ferguson (ankle) were also listed on the injury report, but participated fully in practice.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
