Darren McFadden watched part of practice Wednesday, standing on his own two feet.

Where the Raiders’ star running back is concerned, that rates as news, although it doesn’t make him a likely participant Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I saw Darren McFadden without a boot, standing out here with his teammates today for the first time in a long time,” Raiders coach Hue Jackson said. “To me, that’s huge progress. I’ll see our medical people to find out exactly where that is.”

Given that McFadden has been out since suffering the injury in the Oct. 23 game against Kansas City and that Wednesday was the first time he even watched from the sideline, chances are he will miss his third consecutive game.

Also missing practice was wide receiver Jacoby Ford, out with an injury to his left foot suffered while catching a 41-yard pass in the first quarter of the Raiders’ win in San Diego on Nov. 10.

The Raiders running game has remained productive despite McFadden having been the NFL’s leading rusher at the time of his injury. Over the past three games, Michael Bush has averaged 117.3 yards.

The Vikings are one of the NFL’s better teams defending the run, giving up just 3.7 yards per carry and ranked sixth in yards per game (93.9). They haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher this season and have had surrendered 100 yards to an opposing runner only six times since 2006.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said he doesn’t spend a lot of time watching or admiring other running backs, the exception being McFadden. “There are not too many guys that I watch or I’m excited to watch, but he’s one of those guys,” Peterson told Bay Area media by conference call. “He’s a north-and-south player, great speed, quick feet, athletic, catches the ball well. Just like me, I’m sure there are things he would love to improve on, but outside of that, he’s a guy I respect, and I like the way he runs the ball. I can’t say that about a lot of other backs.”

Those who didn’t participate in practice along with McFadden and Ford were fullback Manase Tonga (knee), quarterback Jason Campbell (collarbone), place-kicker Sebastian Janikowski (hamstring), defensive tackle Richard Seymour (knee) and cornerback Chris Johnson (groin, hamstring). Listed as limited were center Samson Satele (knee), cornerback Chimdi Chekwa (hamstring), cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke (hamstring), free safety Michael Huff (ankle), safety Mike Mitchell (ankle) and safety Matt Giordano (neck).

Huff, who missed the Chargers game, said he feels good to go after jumping rope and playing with kids at an NFL Play 60 function at Longfellow School in San Francisco on Tuesday along with teammates Tyvon Branch, Jerome Boyd and Van Dyke. On behalf of the program, which promotes the importance of exercise and good health, Huff and his teammates presented a $10,000 grant to the school. He has been nursing an ankle injury almost all season, and the Thursday date for the Chargers game didn’t give him enough time to get ready.

Janikowski and punter Shane Lechler are leading their respective positions in the fan vote for the Pro Bowl.