He’s back! Arizona Cardinals defensive back and former LSU star defender Tyrann Mathieu returned to the practice field Sunday for the first time since suffering a torn ACL on Dec. 20.

Aside from admitting he needs to work on his conditioning, Mathieu declared himself good to go following his initial return to the field.

“I felt great,” Mathieu said after the practice, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “I got to get my wind back, but other than that, I felt great. I felt like I moved around pretty good.”

During 11-on-11 team drills, Mathieu has already moved back into Arizona’s starting lineup. The fourth-year defender was feeling so good in fact, he chose contact over an interception during practice – as Mathieu let a receiver catch a ball he could have intercepted just to hit him after the catch.

“I didn’t feel any pain. I didn’t really get tight at all,” Mathieu said. “I was surprised with where I was at, but I was also pleased with what I’ve been doing.”

While Mathieu’s status has yet to be determined for the Sept. 11 Sunday Night Football season-opener against New England, the defensive back indicated he “feels he can be ready” to face the Patriots Week 1.

Without a doubt, the first hurdle for Mathieu’s return to the field has been cleared. If he continues to make progress, expect Mathieu to see the field for the first game of the regular season.