CB Antoine Winfield (All B1G, All-American, Thorpe Award, Pro Bowl, All Pro)

[Buckskin86]

Vikings hoping cornerback Antoine Winfield will be able to play Sunday
By Jeremy Fowler and Brian Murphy
Pioneer Press
Updated: 10/06/2011

Antoine Winfield injured his neck Sunday making this tackle on Chiefs running back Dexter McCluster. (PIONEER PRESS : SCOTT TAKUSHI)

The Vikings will "hold out hope" that cornerback Antoine Winfield can recover from his neck injury in time to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Leslie Frazier said Thursday.

A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed no damage to Winfield's spine, but if the Pro Bowl cornerback can't contribute to today's practice, he'll be a game-time decision.

"There is something that's creating a stiffness in his neck," Frazier said. "Any time you deal with the neck, of course, you're very cautious. He's getting a little bit better, so we'll just have to see how he feels tomorrow."

The 34-year-old Winfield, who has 35 tackles and an interception on the season, is the Vikings' most dependable defensive back and one of the defense's best tacklers.

The Vikings are encouraged that the neck stiffness will dissipate over time, but they don't want to push him. A neck injury forced former Vikings safety Madieu Williams to miss seven games in 2008, though Williams' injury was believed to be structural.

Winfield hurt his neck tackling Kansas City running back Dexter McCluster in Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Chiefs.

"Until he feels comfortable enough to say, 'You know what, I'm ready to get out there and try,' nobody's going to urge him to do anything other than what he thinks he's capable of doing," Frazier said.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19055454

 

[Buckskin86]

Watching Winfield: The status of Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield is something to monitor for the second consecutive week as he recovers from a neck strain.

Winfield, who missed Sunday's game, is improving but is classified as day to day, Frazier said.

"We're hopeful. We have our fingers crossed, hoping that we'll get him back," Frazier said. "We'll probably learn more as the week goes on. But I know he's getting better. I was talking to our trainers today, that he was making progress."

Without Winfield, the Vikings' cornerback quartet of Chris Cook, Cedric Griffin, Asher Allen and Marcus Sherels held Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb to a 49.6 passer rating.

But Winfield is arguably the team's best open-field tackler and would be welcomed back to the lineup as soon as he's ready.

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_19083051?source=pkg

 

[Buckskin86]

Updated: October 12th, 2011
Antoine Winfield still has stiff neck, may return to practice Friday
by Tom Pelissero
1500ESPN.com

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- For the second straight week, the Minnesota Vikings resumed practice on Wednesday afternoon with Antoine Winfield's status up in the air.

The veteran cornerback continues to deal with a stiff neck, which he injured on a tackle on Oct. 2 at Kansas City and caused him to miss Sunday's win over Arizona.

"We're going to have to go day by day," coach Leslie Frazier said before practice, the fourth in a row Winfield has missed since the injury.

"He still has some stiffness in his neck, and we'll see if he's able to -- I don't think he'll be able to do anything (Wednesday), but we're going to try to get him to do something (Thursday) and hopefully, by Friday, we'll have him out there moving around. Hopefully."

Winfield was the only player on the roster who didn't have a helmet as the team began individual drills.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...ins_stiff_Bernard_Berrian_back_on_field101211

 

[Buckskin86]

Winfield doubtful for Bears game
JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Sports Writer | Posted: Friday, October 14, 2011

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. | Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield is listed as doubtful for the game Sunday night against Chicago, meaning it is likely he will miss his second straight week because of a neck injury.

Winfield did not practice all week, but did do some sprints Friday as he tries to work his way back. Coach Leslie Frazier says Winfield would have to show significant improvement by Saturday to be considered for the game.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/foot...5e5-56bc-8f43-a8c81dec52a9.html#ixzz1aqrhjRRH

 

[Buckskin86]

Updated: October 19th, 2011
Antoine Winfield returns to practice
by Tom Pelissero
1500ESPN.com

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings' secondary may get reinforcements this week. And the offensive line may need some.

Cornerback Antoine Winfield returned to practice on Wednesday, 2? weeks after making a tackle in a loss at Kansas City that left him with a stiff neck. He was listed on the injury report as a limited participant.

Whether he returns in a full-time or reduced role -- perhaps playing only in the nickel defense -- will be determined by how he practices this week, coach Leslie Frazier said.

"We're going to see how Antoine does," Frazier said, "if he's able to practice (Wednesday), and then we'll make a determination later in the week of what we think he can do from a rep standpoint and then we'll make that decision."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...actice_four_offensive_linemen_banged_up101911

 

[Buckskin86]

Winfield: Calling injury a strain is a stretch
Article by: MARK CRAIG , Star Tribune
Updated: October 27, 2011

Though he wasn't specific about his neck, the Vikings cornerback says the injury is more serious than a strain.

For more than three weeks, Antoine Winfield's neck injury has been described as a "strain." But it was more serious than that, the Vikings cornerback said Wednesday.

"I'm not going to comment, but it's more than a strain," Winfield said in his first comments since suffering the injury Oct. 2 in Kansas City. "It's definitely more than a strain."

Winfield said that's why he's being extra cautious not to rush back, even with his backup, Chris Cook, suspended indefinitely because of a felony charge of domestic assault.

"Of course I want to get back in there," Winfield said. "But myself, coaches, trainers, we've been smart about it. I don't want to rush myself, get in there and really do some damage. ... My style of play, I love contact. I love to hit. So my neck is very important to me. If it was my shoulder or maybe my foot, I'd be out there playing. But with my neck, I'll take it a little slower."

Thursday will be the key day that Winfield said will determine whether he's able to play at Carolina on Sunday. A magnetic resonance imaging test last Thursday came back clear, but Winfield said he wants to test the neck with full participation in Thursday's padded practice, including the full-go goal-line situations.

"I'm excited about it to see where I'm at," Winfield said. "It's been 3 1/2 weeks. It's getting a lot better. I have my full range of motion. I'm heading in the right direction."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/132667083.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Winfield out again

Cornerback Antoine Winfield smiled when asked when he knew he wouldn't be playing at Carolina.

"I've known for a while," he said. "The plan was for me to come back Monday night [Nov. 14] against the Packers."

Winfield was inactive for the fourth consecutive game since suffering a neck injury at Kansas City on Oct. 2. The Vikings have called it a strained ligament, while Winfield has said only that it's more than a strain.

He returned to practice last week and even said after Thursday's full-pads practice that he felt he'd probably play on Sunday. Frazier didn't share the optimism and listed Winfield as questionable.

"It's the right decision to rest it another week," Winfield said. "You have to be extra careful with a neck injury. This gives me four weeks and then the bye to get back to the way I'm used to playing."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/132897268.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Vikings CB Antoine Winfield says he's 'good to go' for Monday night
By Jeremy Fowler and Brian Murphy
Pioneer Press
Updated: 11/07/2011

Antoine Winfield injured his neck making this tackle on Chiefs running back Dexter McCluster. (PIONEER PRESS : SCOTT TAKUSHI)

The actual diagnosis of Antoine Winfield's neck injury remains lost in translation but his status for the Vikings' game Monday night against Green Bay at Lambeau Field seems clear.

"Oh, absolutely, I'm good to go. I'll be out there playing," the veteran cornerback said Monday.

Winfield has missed four games with what the team classified as a neck strain, though he has maintained, without elaborating, that the injury was more serious.

"What did you hear?" Winfield responded to a question about his condition.

What do you know, he was asked.

"Ah, I can't put that out there. Whatever you heard is probably out. What did coach tell you?" Winfield said.

Coach Leslie Frazier said there was no discrepancy, that Winfield's injury was a strain and the Vikings expect him to return against the Packers.

"Any time you do something to your neck, it really is what I am saying that it is," Frazier said. "It wasn't anything to do with his spine or anything like that. To come back and play as violently as he plays, it takes time and hopefully he's had enough time now to where he can feel comfortable enough to go in and play, and play at the level he feels accustomed to playing at."

Minnesota's pass defense, ranked 30th in the NFL, desperately needs Winfield's steadying influence against Green Bay, which boasts the game's highest-rated quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

"Rodgers is playing lights-out right now," Winfield said. "We definitely have a tough challenge ahead."

http://www.twincities.com/ci_19284039?source=most_viewed

 

[scooter1369]

aaaaannnddd.... A broken Clavicle. done for the year.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2011/11/15/2563590/antoine-winfield-injury-minnesota-vikings-2011-season

 

[scooter1369]

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2011/11/15/2563345/an-open-letter-to-espn

There are plenty of examples that I could use to point out exactly how pathetic the coverage was last night, but let me point out the one that sticks in my craw the most.

Last night, apparently at some point during the fourth quarter, Vikings' defensive back Antoine Winfield needed help getting off of the field after an injury. Do you know why I say "apparently?" Because the three sycophants you employ in your football commentary booth didn't even bother to acknowledge it. We fans of the Minnesota Vikings. . .who, if you all missed it, were the other team on the field Monday night. . .didn't know that anything had even happened until Coach Leslie Frazier's press conference 20 to 30 minutes after the game.

Yes, I get that the [REDACTED] are a better team than the Minnesota Vikings are and that you absolutely, positively can't shut up about them. Great. Fine. Wonderful.

Antoine Winfield has been an outstanding player in the National Football League for a very long time now, in addition to being an upstanding person and someone that I've never heard anybody say a single bad thing about. It's entirely possible that the injury he suffered. . .a broken collarbone, since I'm still not sure if anyone from your network has bothered to mention it almost 12 hours later. . .could mean that he's played his last game as a Minnesota Viking, and possibly his last game in the NFL.

For your "crew" to not even acknowledge his injury is nothing short of pathetic. For your network to, basically, ignore the presence of the Minnesota Vikings for 3 1/2 hours is nothing short of pathetic. If you all want to be homers, that's just fine. . .change the name of your station to the Eternally Slurping the [REDACTED] Network and be done with it.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Yeah I was going to say....when did this happen? I watched the whole game bc the last TD from Rogers to Nelson gave me a 1 point win in fantasy

 

[brodybuck21]

Yeah I was going to say....when did this happen? I watched the whole game bc the last TD from Rogers to Nelson gave me a 1 point win in fantasy

yeah i was wonderiing where winfield was in the second half, great job espin!

arghhhh if it had been jennings who had 2 tds instead of nelson I would have won in my fantasy....

 

[Buckskin86]

Updated: December 12th, 2011
Clause triggered in Antoine Winfield's contract, reducing 2012 salary
by Tom Pelissero
1500ESPN.com

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- If Antoine Winfield returns with the Minnesota Vikings next season, he'll do so at a bargain rate.

Winfield confirmed on Monday the injuries that limited him to five games this season triggered a playing time-based clause in his contract that will slash his base salary in 2012.

Originially on the books for $7 million, Winfield's scheduled base salary next season is now believed to be $3 million -- a more team-friendly figure for a 13-year veteran who will turn 35 in June, but still good compensation if he moves exclusively into a nickel role as expected.

"My agent discussed that," Winfield said. "Being 34 years old and starting is rare. That's why we put it in there."

Winfield's contract runs through 2013, when his scheduled base salary is $7.25 million. That number could be reduced, too, depending what role he ends up in next season.

The Vikings placed Winfield on injured reserve on Nov. 16, two days after he fractured his collarbone while making a tackle in a loss at Green Bay. He previously missed four games with a neck strain, and the combination of those extended absences triggered a de-escalator that is based on playing a specified percentage of the defensive snaps.

The clause in the five-year, $33.6 million extension Winfield signed in July 2009 often has been described as a reduction if Winfield was made the Vikings' nickelback instead of a starter. However, an NFL source confirmed there is no provision for injuries.

That raises the chances Winfield will return in spite of the Vikings' ongoing rebuilding operation, which could see another exodus of high-priced veterans this coming offseason.

"You know what? It is a business," Winfield said. "I understand that. I really don't know what the future holds. But I expect to. Yeah. I expect to be around here."

Winfield had surgery last month. He said he has regained all movement, will resume lifting weights in a couple of weeks and expects to be full-strength by April, meaning he could participate in the team's organized team activities and minicamps next spring.

It's the second time in two years Winfield has battled significant injury trouble, following his bout with foot problems in 2009. But he laughed off the idea he might be ready to call it quits.

"Oh, no, no," Winfield said. "I love the game. I still enjoy going out there, playing. Enjoy the locker room, being around the guys. I have two more years on my contract here and I expect to play those out."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...Winfields_contract_reducing_2012_salary121211

 

[Buckskin86]

Winfield: View from IR of team is a rough one
Article by: DAN WIEDERER , Star Tribune

Vikings players had Monday off, but injured cornerback Antoine Winfield made a locker room cameo four weeks after his season ended in a 45-7 loss in Green Bay.

Winfield fractured his clavicle in that game, landing awkwardly after a tackle on tight end Jermichael Finley. He was placed on injured reserve the next day, had surgery soon after and continues to rehabilitate.

Winfield said he should be able to resume lifting weights in about two weeks and expects to be at full strength around April.

Meanwhile, he remains frustrated that the Vikings' skid continues.

"No one expected this season to go the way it's gone," he said. "The guys are still out there working hard. They have three games left. But it's been tough."

Winfield paused and asked reporters how many losses the team now had. Reminded the Vikings were 2-11, he recoiled.

"Ooh," he said. "That's pretty bad."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/135482038.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Winfield no safety

Cornerback Antoine Winfield's longevity goal is simple: Finish out the final two years of his contract and walk away at age 36.

"That will get me to Year 15," Winfield said. "I expect to hang them up after that. Fifteen. That's it."

Winfield also said he won't switch to safety, as corners sometimes do in the twilight of their careers.

"Safety's not my position," Winfield said. "I like to be in the action at the corner."

Winfield played only five games this season because of injuries. Because the injuries (neck, clavicle) weren't to his legs, Winfield said there's no reason to believe he can't return to his top form.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/136550463.html

Happy at corner

Veteran Antoine Winfield continues to rehab after breaking his collarbone on Nov. 14 at Green Bay and ending the season on injured reserve.

Winfield fully expects to be back next season and said he plans to play the final two years of his contract and then retire. "That will get me to year 15," he said. "I expect to hang them up after that."

There has been plenty of speculation the last few years that Winfield might make the move to safety before his career is done, but as long as the Vikings are playing a base Cover-2 defense that isn't going to happen.

At least not if Winfield has anything to say about it.

"Safety's not my position," Winfield said. "I like to be in the action, so I'll be at corner."

Winfield, 34, could end up playing exclusively inside in the nickel next season. He has been the Vikings starting left corner when healthy and then frequently moved inside on passing downs.

"I've always played in the nickel since I was at Ohio State," he said. "That's always been my favorite position and I loved being in there where all the action is. I can blitz and do some other things. I see myself there."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...ns_could_impact_Husain_Abdullahs_future010212