Adrian Peterson Injury: Vikings' Season Couldn't Get Any Worse

Just when you thought the Minnesota Vikings' season couldn't get any worse, it does.

Not only did rookie quarterback Christian Ponder suffer a concussion in Week 16, star running back Adrian Peterson may have torn his ACL, according to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.

The Vikings did win the game against the Washington Redskins on Saturday, 33-26, but that's besides the point. The Vikings are 3-12 this season and really only have two superstars, Peterson and defensive end Jared Allen. Beyond that, they're a mess, and Ponder wasn't exactly thrilling anybody before his concussion.

You know it's bad when fans are calling for Joe Webb over the rookie who was supposed to become your franchise quarterback.

The good news is the Vikings seem destined for a top-three pick in the draft. That means they'll have a shot at some very promising prospects, including perhaps USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil. The Vikings were allowing 45 sacks headed into Week 16, fourth-most in the NFL.

But, for now, Vikings fans still dream of a time when a grizzled veteran led them to the NFC Championship Game and all was glorious (and, no, I will not mention said veteran's name because we've all heard enough by now).

Vikings fans, and NFL fans for that matter, can only hope that Peterson's injury isn't serious enough to limit him next season. As the best running back in the league, no one wants to see Peterson at less than 100 percent.

The Vikings would turn into the Indianapolis Colts, a la 2011, if they lost Peterson for an extended period of time.