MINNEAPOLIS — Percy Harvin has proven in his rookie season that he’s as tough as he is talented. He has returned to play in games at least three times after suffering from migraine headaches in the days before and also dealt with a shoulder injury that he refused to let sideline him despite the fact he aggravated it more than once.

That’s what made Harvin’s absence Sunday a concern for the Vikings.
The explosive wide receiver, who has dealt with migraines since he was 10 years old, missed a game for the first time this season. He had sat out the entire week of practice for the first time because of migraines and was believed to have remained home Sunday.
Coach Brad Childress admitted after the Vikings’ 30-10 victory over the Bengals that this is a difficult issue to deal with because migraines are unpredictable.
“That’s a thing that none of us have a great feel for,” Childress said. “They are so wide ranging and people report different things. It’s different for different people. As coaches you want to put it in a box. ’What is it? It’s a fractured femur. Well, how long is that?’ We will get up to speed as we go through next week and he will work as hard as anything.”
The Vikings knew about Harvin’s issue when they drafted him 22nd overall last April, but the frequency with which he is now experiencing the headaches has to be a worry. Harvin saw a doctor last week and could end up going for more tests.
Harvin has been key to the Vikings’ success this season and is second on the team with 48 receptions for 681 yards and six touchdowns. He also is among the NFL leaders in kickoff returns, averaging 29.0 yards on 34 returns with two touchdowns. Wide receiver Darius Reynaud replaced Harvin on kick returns Sunday.
As for Harvin’s return, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to practice Wednesday when the Vikings start preparing for next Sunday’s game at Carolina, and there is no guarantee he will be on the field next week.
“It kills him not to be out here,” Childress said. “If there is one thing he loves to do, it’s get on this field and compete and play. He’s a tough guy, but you can’t out-tough through this. He’s just in stinking too much pain.”