Adrian Peterson Isn't Going To Start Running Tuesday After All

by Christopher Gates on Feb 25, 2012 4:00 PM CST in Minnesota Vikings 2012 Off-Season

Last week, we reported to you that Adrian Peterson was telling everyone that he was all set to start running on February 28, which is this coming Tuesday. . .and only two months after he tore his ACL against the Washington Redskins.

Yesterday at his press conference at the NFL Combine, Leslie Frazier pretty much said, "Yeah. . .about that. . ."

"He’s got to listen to what the doctors are telling him and the rehab specialists and go at their pace," Frazier said. "There are steps to take before you actually start running. He has to go through those steps."

Frazier said Peterson will begin running in the swimming pool well before he begins even considering running on land.

"We’ll see how he’s doing and how he’s responding to what he does in the pool before he actually begins to do some hard-surface running," Frazier said. "But in his mind, he’s just about ready to go out and run sprints right now. But he’s not ready for that."

So, while Adrian Peterson is likely still a cyborg, he's not going to be running any time soon, unless he's doing it at a swimming pool near you. It's good that Peterson is ahead of schedule, and that the Vikings are still of the mindset that he can be back in Week 1 of the 2012 season, but they certainly don't want him suffering any setbacks at this point.

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who knew theyd have to slow him down

by Lunchpail on Feb 25, 2012 5:42 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Too much invested in him to rush him back

Take as much time as needed to get back to full strength. Honestly, I don’t care if it takes up to half the season or even the whole season

Straight Cash Homey

by MOSScomeBACK2vikes on Feb 25, 2012 7:05 PM CST reply actions

Don't rush it Adrian

The team needs you long term with a healthy strong knee. Do all the rehab and come back at full strength. As a fan, I want to watch the Adrian Peterson that we have seen destroy linebackers, safetys and cornerbacks on heart stopping runs.

by TexasViking on Feb 25, 2012 8:10 PM CST reply actions

We appreciate your efforts to come back...

…but remember, Adrian, what’s important is you being able to run full tilt in September, even if it means no running until May.

by wd1212 on Feb 25, 2012 9:42 PM CST reply actions

I pretty much expected this

Everyone heals differently but there is no reason he should test the limits. After a surgery like that two months is probably not enough recovery time for anyone to start running. Hopefully Frazier, Sugarman and Co. can keep him off that knee until he is ready.

"none of us is a fan of the team" - Judd Zulgad (also fabricated the "schism" reports of 09')

by Grape Drank on Feb 25, 2012 9:54 PM CST reply actions

Knew it would be hard on AP to sit out

I wouldn’t mind if he doesn’t start until Week 3 or 4, or whatever it takes, to ensure he’s coming back fully healthy. Not just for our team’s sake either, but for his!

Frostbite Falls, Minnesota

by NorseNightmare on Feb 26, 2012 12:06 AM CST reply actions

A CYBORG HE MIGHT BE IF THEY GET HIM RUNNING ON GROUND BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY

I HAD A TOTAL KNEE REPLACED JUST 2 WEEKS BEFORE AP HAD HIS SURGERY GRANTED HIS WAS A LITTLE DIFFERANT BUT NOT BY MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO HEALING AND THE TRAUMA THAT YOUR LEG GOES THROUGH , EVEN THOUGH HE IS 25 YEARS YOUNGER AND A HELL OF ALOT BETTER SHAPE I THINK IT WOULD STUPID TO LET HIM RUN IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS , MY SCAR LINE IS STILL A BIT RED IN COLOR AND AS THE DOC SAID UNTILL ITS ALL BACK TO SKIN COLOR THE HEALING IS STILL GOING ON, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON STATION BIKE FOR A MONTH AND AND I CAN WALK WITHOUT BUT I STILL USE A CANE BECAUSE IT STILL HAS UNEXPECTED TENDENCY TO GIVE OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND IM 2 &1/2 MONTHS OUT, HE HAS INSPIRED ME TO KEEP AT IT BUT I COULDNT RUN NOW IF THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE ,
SO IF HE IS SPRINTING BEFORE THE 4TH OF JULY HE IS A CYBORG AND THEY WILL NEED PUT A 24/7 GUARD ON HIM TO KEEP HIM FROM SNEEKING OUT AND RUNING , I RECALL THE WHEIGHT TRAINERS HAD TO RESTRAIN FROM SQUATING OVER 500LBS AND WAS JUST A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE HE TORE UP HIS LEG
WITH THAT DETERMINATION YOU KNOW HE WILL TRY AND SNEEK A RUN AND I WOULD MAKE HIM RIDE THE BENCH AS LONG AS TOBY CAN DO THE WORK HE IS TO VALUABLE INVESTMENT TO PISS AWAY ON A EARLY SEASON GAME EXSPECIALY A NONCONFERANCE ONE

SKOL

by THORS BLOOD THIRSTY HAMMER on Feb 26, 2012 12:29 AM CST reply actions

A total knee surgery and ACL surgery are two entirely different things.

In a knee replacement, they have to cut the femur and proximal (top) end of the tibia and replace those parts of those bones with a metal and “glue” it into place with a type of bone cement (polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement). In order to do this they have to remove the ACL and sometimes the PCL and reattach them after the metal is in place.

An ACL surgery is much simpler in the fact that they take the middle 1/3 of his patellar tendon, stich together the two outer thirds, let that heal and bulk up, and use that middle third in place of the patellar tendon. The only part of the bones they have to mess with are the insertions and origins where the tendon attaches. Once that tendon has healed enough to undergo the stress of running, jumping, and strengthening, it is just a matter of regaining the strength and flexibility he had prior to surgery.

I had the same injury and surgery as AP my freshman year of college. Surgery was in March, I was running by the end of May and playing ultimate frisbee and flag football by August. Granted those are low contact sports but I was able to run, jump, and cut with confidence only 5 months after surgery.

Given how much more of an athlete Peterson is (I played football and ran track at a D3 college), I would say he will have no problem regaining the strength and speed he had prior to his injury and that he’ll be back to 100% physically by the start of the season, and all that will be left will be regaining confidence in his knee so that he does not run tentatively.