NFL Rumors: Vikings Peterson Targeting Week 1 for Return from ACL Injury

A disastrous 2011 season for the Minnesota Vikings took one last horrific turn in Week 16 last year when star running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, but if the five-year veteran is to be believed, his rehab is progressing well and Petrson could return for the first game of the 2012 campaign.

Peterson, who failed to top 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time his career last year, took to Twitter Thursday, assuring Vikings fans that his rehab is moving right along and thanking them for their support.

"

My knee is getting better everyday and thanks for all the support from the viking fans and non-viking fans, your support is appreciated

— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) March 9, 2012"

The 26-year-old ball-carrier, who has averaged 4.8 yards a carry over his career and owns the National Football League record for rushing yards in a game, had surgery on the knee last December and not only has the four-time Pro Bowler begun running in a pool, the Vikings actually had to recently instruct Peterson to scale back the aggressiveness of his rehabilitation, according a recent report in the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

"Two weeks ago, Peterson raised some concern when he told KFXN-FM he planned to start running Feb. 28 - presumably outside of a pool. Last week at the NFL scouting combine, Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said he didn't want Peterson to rush the process, that the running back needed to remain patient, that he had talked to Peterson about it."

Peterson and the Vikings remain optimistic that the electric ball-carrier will be able to take the field at 100 percent when Minnesota opens the season on September 9th.

If that should indeed prove to be the case, his return to action would be a very welcome sight for a Minnesota squad looking to erase the stain of a woeful 3-13 season and begin their climb from the NFC North's cellar.