THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- For eight weeks, Aqib Talib helped his Los Angeles Rams teammates from the sideline.

But as the Rams attempt to clinch their second consecutive division title and make a deep playoff run, Talib would like to utilize his skills on the field.

The five-time Pro Bowl cornerback's return could come as soon as Sunday, when the Rams (10-1) play the Detroit Lions (4-7) at Ford Field.

On Monday, the Rams designated Talib to return from the injured reserve, where he spent the past nine weeks after undergoing ankle surgery following a Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

"I feel good," Talib said after he participated in a team walk-through Monday.

Depending on how Talib performs during practice this week, coach Sean McVay said the All-Pro could be activated against the Lions. A victory Sunday would secure a playoff berth and an NFC West title.

"I know he's feeling good and he's really pushed it," McVay said. "As far as if he's ready to go, those are things that as the week progresses, we'll figure that out."

Talib is the second and final player the Rams can designate to return from injured reserve. Returner Pharoh Cooper, sidelined after Week 1, was activated ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Hopefully he comes back in the same shape he was before he left at that high level," safety Lamarcus Joyner said of Talib. "It's always good to have a guy like [Talib] back in the secondary with the energy and the motivation that he brings with his leadership."

An 11th-year pro, Talib has remained steadfast over the past few weeks that he would be ready to return the first weekend in December. Before victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Chiefs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Talib went through pregame conditioning and agility drills with trainers. He also made the weeklong trip with the team to Colorado Springs, Colorado, during Week 11 to maintain continuity in his rehab.

"The only way you're going to know if you're ready for a game is playing in the game," Talib said. "I'm as good as I can be as far as working out without playing, without competing."

The Rams acquired Talib in an offseason trade with the Denver Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round pick. With a two-year contract worth $19 million, Talib was expected to provide a lockdown presence in defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' scheme, given he starred with Phillips' defense on the Broncos' Super Bowl-winning team in the 2015 season. Teammates voted him a captain before the start of this season.

"Any time that you lose a player of his caliber, both from a production standpoint and just from a leadership standpoint, certainly you don't replace a guy like that," McVay said.

During Talib's absence, the Rams faced a gantlet of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks -- including Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees -- and made it through nearly unscathed, with their lone loss to Brees and the New Orleans Saints (10-1) on the road.

In Week 11 against MVP front-runner Patrick Mahomes, Marcus Peters and Joyner grabbed late interceptions to secure a victory before the bye week.

But make no mistake, Talib's return would provide a much-needed boost in the secondary.

The Rams' passing defense ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in several categories. The unit ranks 27th in yards per attempt, allowing an average of 8.1. It's tied for 27th in passing touchdowns allowed, with 25. And it's ranked 19th in completion percentage, having allowed opponents to complete 65.8 percent of their passes.

Talib, who has two pass deflections and a forced fumble this season, said he could help cut down the number of explosive plays.

"Just sharpen up our communication a little bit," Talib said. "I think we get our communication in order, we eliminate two or three big plays a game and it will make us that much better on defense."

And as the Rams prepare for the final five games of the season, including matchups against the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the playoffs and a possible rematch against Brees and the Saints, Talib's leadership and playmaking ability could prove valuable as the only defensive starter with Super Bowl experience.

"We got to crank it up a notch," Talib said. "You got to meet a little bit extra, walk through a little bit extra, take an extra 30-40 minutes at home. ... It's like the season really starts right now, if we plan on doing something we should have about eight games left, so the last eight games you got to be working harder than your first 11 games, so this is when the season really starts, right now."