Trae Waynes expected to return on Sunday vs. the Cardinals

The Minnesota Vikings cornerback has recovered from his concussion and says he’ll play against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

After a rebound performance for the Minnesota Vikings in Philadelphia last Sunday, it appears that the Vikings may be getting some reinforcements for Week 6.

Cornerback Trae Waynes, who missed the 23-21 win over the Eagles with a concussion, told reporters including the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, on Wednesday that he has passed the NFL’s concussion protocol and will play on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Waynes’ return to the lineup could have mixed feelings amongst Vikings fans. While he has been Minnesota’s starting cornerback for each of the past three seasons, he also has had a hot and cold effect for most of his tenure.

Minnesota Vikings

Plus, he’s already exited a couple games already this year due to injuries, leaving three of the four contests.

In those games, Waynes hasn’t gotten off to a solid start. Pro Football Focus gave Waynes an overall grade of 54.9 and a coverage grade of 51.4 this season. By comparison rookie (and potential replacement) Mike Hughes has fared slightly better with a grade of 63.8.

In fact, Waynes’ return could do more to stop the run. As a physical corner, he has a run defense grade of 72.2 this season including 10 tackles. That could come in handy as Minnesota faces one of the top running backs in the NFL on Sunday in Arizona’s David Johnson.

Either way, the Vikings need a win to keep the momentum going from Philadelphia. To get another piece back of a defense that has struggled a bit in 2018 is another way to keep things moving in the right direction.

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