"After he arrived on a private jet Saturday evening, T.J. Houshmandzadeh continued to be wined and dined by the Vikings on Sunday.

Houshmandzadeh toured Winter Park, the team's headquarters, as well as parts of the Twin Cities, and he visited with Vikings players, coaches and staffers.

Yet by Sunday night, the Vikings had not signed Houshmandzadeh, considered the top wide receiver available in free agency.

"No decision tonight," agent Kennard McGuire said in a brief e-mail Sunday night.

McGuire didn't elaborate.

Although he told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Saturday that he planned to make a decision Sunday night, Houshmandzadeh apparently needed more time and wanted to speak to his wife, Kaci.

According to several people close to the situation, Houshmandzadeh had a positive visit with the Vikings, including plenty of time with head coach Brad Childress.

Yet the more important connection could be between McGuire and Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings' chief contract negotiator.

Determining a market value for Houshmandzadeh, an eight-year NFL veteran with the Bengals, is somewhat complex.

Houshmandzadeh is durable (he has missed only five games in the past five seasons), productive (an average of 93 catches for 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns over the past four seasons) and a positive influence (quietly considered one of the Bengals' more dependable leaders). The strike against him is his age: Houshmandzadeh turns 32 on Sept. 26."