San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Dwight Freeney has revealed that he has been given the all-clear by the club's doctors to return to full practice.

Freeney suffered a quadriceps tear at the end of September that kept him out of the rest of the 2013 season, and although he will soon return he said that he would have to work hard to keep up with the younger players on the roster.

"The doctors have said that I've healed completely," Freeney told ESPN.com. "So now it's all about getting my strength back.

"It just tells us that it's a young man's game. We all understand it. We all get it. We might not like it, but that's what it is. But we still have value. For teams that want to win now, that's what's happening."

Freeney made four starts for the Chargers last season before his injury.