"Will he or won't he?

For the first time this season, strong safety Bob Sanders participated in all drills Wednesday as the Indianapolis Colts practiced for their Sunday game at St. Louis. The 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year offered no guarantees, but he was bullish.

"Definitely," he said. "I feel better than I've felt for a long time. I definitely feel excited about it and hopefully I'll be able to get in there and get some plays."

Sanders has been rehabilitating since offseason surgery on his right knee. He has not played this season and began practicing on a limited basis two weeks ago.

Pro Bowl end Dwight Freeney sounded like he fully expects his teammate to be on the field at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday.

"We're all excited to have him back," Freeney said. "Seeing No. 21 running around back there is definitely going to be a comfort factor."

Of course, a setback is possible and Colts coach Jim Caldwell remained cautious. The coach anticipates Sanders returning but said no determination is likely before the end of the week.

Caldwell said Sanders will be monitored carefully, that he isn't likely to participate in every drill this week. Even if he misses a full day of practice, it wouldn't necessarily rule him out for Sunday.

"The prudent thing would not be to go out there and pound him every single day," said Caldwell, who added that Sanders' snap count will be limited if he plays.

With or without Sanders, the Colts secondary is expected to be bolstered by the return of cornerback Kelvin Hayden. He missed the past three games with a left hamstring injury. Hayden has declared himself fit.

The outlook for cornerback Marlin Jackson isn't as good. Jackson has a strained anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and doesn't expect to play before Nov. 8 against Houston.

"I'm healing up good right now," he said Wednesday. "I had a (magnetic resonance imaging test Tuesday) and it showed good healing going on, so it's real positive right now. I'm just rehabbing and conditioning and getting ready for when I get to come back.""