EDEN PRAIRIE — Visanthe Shiancoe sure has been quiet this preseason. Maybe a little too quiet.

The Minnesota Vikings tight end has earned a reputation as being one of the most talkative and colorful characters on the team over the last four seasons. That gregarious personality seemed muted during a preseason in which Shiancoe did not play a single down because of a lingering hamstring injury.

That means Shiancoe missed out on valuable practice and game time with new quarterback Donovan McNabb, not to mention time he could use learning the new offense brought in by coordinator Bill Musgrave.

With his hamstring healing, and the Vikings preparing to open the season on Sunday at San Diego, it appears that the ol’ Shiancoe is starting to come back to life, just in time for him to start the all-important final year of his contract.

Shiancoe said Wednesday that he is 100 percent ready to go against the Chargers and then painted a picture for why he aggravated the hamstring in practice two weeks ago like only he can.

“I wasn’t ready at all yet,” Shiancoe said. “It was still baking. I took it out the oven too soon.”

So now the hamstring is, uh, fully baked?

“It’s out of the oven nice and fresh,” he said. “Fresh hammy.”