Adrian Peterson Injury Update: Vikings RB to Undergo Knee Surgery

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson exited the Vikings' Week 2 win over the Green Bay Packers with a torn meniscus and did not return to the field. He is set to undergo surgery on his injured knee, which could keep him out of action for months. 

According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, Peterson said he will have surgery to repair his meniscus Thursday. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Peterson is expected to miss multiple games, while NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported it will take months for Peterson to heal. Rapoport added that Peterson isn't likely to return until December at the earliest.

Per Anderson, Peterson has a bucket-handle tear, which requires a minimum of three to four months and as many as six months of recovery. Anderson later clarified that the timetable is an estimate based on similar cases.

According to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling (h/t ABC7.com), Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer revealed Monday that Peterson had torn his meniscus, and while Zimmer initially didn't rule out Peterson playing in Week 3, Anderson's report suggests he could potentially miss the remainder of the 2016 season.

While Peterson had been struggling with just 50 yards rushing on 31 carries in parts of two games prior to the injury, he led the NFL with 1,485 rushing yards last season, and his absence is a massive blow to Minnesota's playoff and Super Bowl hopes.

Minnesota is 2-0 after quarterback Sam Bradford's promising debut for the team in Week 2, but he may not have the support of a consistent running game moving forward without the services of the 31-year-old former NFL MVP.

With Peterson on the shelf, Jerick McKinnon, 24, and Matt Asiata, 29, are expected to share backfield duties for the Vikings. Zimmer later announced McKinnon would assume lead back responsibilities in Peterson's absence.

McKinnon is the younger, more explosive option, as he averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season, while Asiata is a plodder best used in short-yardage situations, as evidenced by his career average of just 3.5 yards per carry.

When Peterson missed all but one game in 2014 due to suspension, McKinnon and Asiata rushed for a combined 1,008 yards, with Asiata scoring all 10 touchdowns between them.

Peterson is no stranger to significant knee injuries, as he returned from a torn ACL in 2012 and nearly broke the NFL's single-season rushing record, with 2,097 yards.

Repeating that feat may be difficult now that Peterson is four years older, but his history of quick, full recoveries suggests it would be unwise to write him off completely for the rest of 2016.

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