Minnesota designated Nwangwu (back) for a return from injured reserve Wednesday, Craig Peters of the Vikings' official site reports.
The transaction opens a 21-day window for Minnesota to evaluate Nwangwu in practice before he would have to be added to the 53-man roster or remain on IR for the rest of the season. After missing the first five games of the season, Nwangwu could be available as soon as Sunday against Chicago if the Vikings are satisfied with how he looks in practice this week. Once he's activated, Nwangwu will likely step in as the Vikings' top kickoff returner and could also play running back snaps in passing situations.