Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks said he was feeling "thankful," "excited" and "blessed" as he readied for his return to practice on Tuesday, 5½ weeks after having emergency surgery on his right shin to address dangerous swelling called compartment syndrome.
"It's going to be emotional," said Hicks, whose surgery stemmed from a contusion he suffered early in the Nov. 12 win over the Saints. "It's already been an emotional day."
The Vikings on Monday opened the three-week window to bring Hicks back from injured reserve. Tuesday, he said he feels 100% healthy with a goal of playing in Sunday's critical division game against the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Hicks said he and the team would see how his leg responds Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Obviously, I haven't played football yet," he said. "I've ran on the field, I've done drills, I've done certain things, but reactionary, doing physical things, we have to see how it responds. But all the signs are good right now."
Hicks credited the Vikings' medical staff for recognizing the seriousness of the injury and having him transported to the hospital via ambulance after the Saints game. The wound from the surgery was left open for four days, and Hicks was relatively motionless for 2½ weeks after surgery.
"Thankful, blessed for, first off, not having any permanent damage," Hicks said. "The decisions that had to be made, the people who had to truly understand what was going on, the communication between them behind the scenes …
"There are so many aspects and variables to this scenario that ended up going right. And I've heard a ton of stories of that not being the case."
