Adrian Peterson Injury: Update on Minnesota Vikings Star's Ankle Injury

Adrian Peterson has been carted off the field with what appears to be an ankle injury. He went down awkwardly and rolled his ankle in the second quarter of their game against the Oakland Raiders.

The wind has understandably been sucked out of the stadium, as the dejected Vikings just saw the heart and soul of their franchise headed to the locker room on a cart.

Update: Sunday, November 20th at 4:03 p.m. EST

Vikings fans can breath a sigh of relief. Pro Football Talk reports that x-rays came back negative and while that doesn't necessarily mean we'll see Peterson back in action next week, it's the best case scenario for Vikings fans and AP fantasy owners.

Update: Sunday, November 20th at 3:20 p.m. EST

Adrian Peterson is on the sidelines and according to an article Tweeted out by ESPN's Kevin Seifert, it appears as though "the worst-case scenario might have been averted".

Fantasy Impact

It doesn't look good for AP and fantasy owners heading into the playoffs with AP leading the way are on pins and needles with the fate of their team currently being examined in the locker room.

The Vikings are struggling, but AP is still one of the few marquee backs who can completely take over a game. Those who elected to take Peterson first overall have seen a return on their investment, while people who drafted Arian Foster or Chris Johnson have been disappointed.

This is a critical blow at an inopportune time.

Who's the Backup?

Toby Gerhart is a solid backup. He's not Peterson by any means, but he's a guy who can do it all and has proven he can carry the load. While the dropoff between Peterson and Gerhart is significant, Gerhart is capable enough to keep the Vikings' offense from collapsing with AP in the locker room.

The problem is that even with the best back in the league, the Vikings have had trouble winning. With Gerhart in the lineup, their struggles will only get worse.

Devastation Scale: 8/10

The Vikings have no playoff shot, a decent backup back and there is no word on how bad Peterson's injury is. Those are the only factors keeping this from being a 10/10.

Peterson is one of the few bright spots on Minnesota and one of the best players in the league. They get exponentially worse when he is not on the field and with a rookie quarterback under center, any amount of time he spends off the field is significant.

Timeline for Return

There is no word yet as to how long AP is out. He's incredibly tough and he ditched the injury-prone asterisk in college, but he won't return to play in this game.

The Vikings simply need to hope this isn't a devastating injury that keeps him out for a lengthy amount of time.

What They're Saying

ESPN's Tom Pelissero sent out a Tweet that no Minnesota Vikings fan ever wants to hear. 

NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora takes the mystery out of whether or not Peterson will be back in the lineup today.