Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield missed Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was expected to be out four to six weeks with a foot injury, NFL sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Winfield has a fractured right foot. Winfield wore a walking boot on his right foot Sunday as he left the locker room but denied he has a fractured foot and would be sidelined four to six weeks, saying he suffered only a sprain and that he was "day to day."
The Vikings were encouraged because the injury was not considered a Lisfranc injury, which could have sidelined Winfield longer, sources told Mortensen.
"It feels a lot better," Winfield said, according to the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. "I was on crutches [until Friday]. Now I'm in the boot. I'm walking on it and not feeling any pain so my goal is to get back out here and play against the Packers."
Winfield was injured last Sunday against Baltimore and did not practice all week. Benny Sapp likely will start in place of Winfield.
Vikings coach Brad Childress wouldn't elaborate on Winfield's injury Sunday.
"Really it's kind of a week-to-week deal," Childress said, according to the Star Tribune. "I learned a long time ago not to rule him out because there were a couple times my first year that I didn't think he was going to play and he forced his way in there."
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco picked apart Winfield's sub, Karl Paymah, last week after the hard-hitting cornerback went down in the second quarter. Flacco threw for 196 yards in the fourth quarter alone, but the Vikings (6-0) held on for a 33-31 win to remain undefeated.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.