Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice says that he will make his season debut against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.
"I'm going to play," Rice told ESPN's Ed Werder. "I don't think I can go the whole game but I'm going to play as much as I can."
Obviously this is encouraging news for the Vikings, but Vikings head coach Brad Childress isn't so sure that Rice will play this weekend.
According to Werder, Childress told reporters that Rice's soreness is "not as bad as last week" and that the decision on his status will be made after Saturday's practice.
Childress also expects that Rice will be placed on season-ending injured reserve if he isn't active this weekend.
This will be the first time, if Rice does indeed play, that he and quarterback Brett Favre will take the field together this season after hooking up quite often last year.