FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, who missed the last three games with hamstring and ankle injuries, announced Thursday his intent to play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to be out there Sunday,'' White said. "You know, I wanted to get out there and have a full week of practice before I actually played in a game. This was the first full week that I'm going through. I'll be ready to play.''
White returned to practice last Friday and was questionable to play against Carolina. He went through pregame warm-ups but ended up being inactive.
Although White was limited during Wednesday's practice, coach Mike Smith expressed optimism about increasing White's workload throughout the week.
Now that White is expected to be in the lineup, he'll get a chance to go up against Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, and it's sure to spark a war of words.
The players exchanged barbs earlier this year over NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2013." Sherman said in June that White, who was ranked No. 39, didn't belong on the list. White responded that Sherman, who was ranked No. 50 on the list, "talked his way into being All-Pro."
"I just don't circle games on the calendar,'' White said Thursday. "Every game that I play, that's the one that is circled throughout the season. There's no particular game that I go out there harder than any other one that I play. We're playing the Seattle Seahawks. They are the best team in NFC right now. We'll be nice and hyped to get a chance to knock these guys off.''
White has 14 catches for 129 yards in limited action this season.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez called it a "breath of fresh air for this offense'' to get White back.
"Little rusty but by game time I know for sure he's going to go out there and be that Roddy White-type player that we all know,'' Gonzalez said.