Adrian Peterson Has a Torn Meniscus, But Nobody Knows His Timetable

If you thought the uncertainty surrounding a key position for the Minnesota Vikings was over when Sam Bradford started and took control of the passing game Sunday night, think again. Adrian Peterson has officially been diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which he suffered in the third quarter of the Vikings’ eventual win against Green Bay when a tackler hit his right leg while his heel was planted.

Peterson met with athletic trainer Eric Sugarman and multiple doctors to discuss his options, but what those options are were not immediately disclosed, though some intrepid journalists have consulted sources and tossed out some timetables.

Dr. McCarthy said if Peterson does need surgery might just be to trim the meniscus Would keep him out minimum of 4 to 5 weeks, but maybe 8

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 19, 2016

Been told meniscus options Adrian Peterson & #Vikings are weighing: partial repair & minimum 4 wk layup, or full repair w/ min 4 month layup

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 19, 2016

Timeline to remember: If Adrian Peterson has meniscus removed, he's probably looking at a 2-3 week recovery. #Vikings have bye in Week 6.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 19, 2016

Zimmer refused to delve into Peterson’s practice availability, the specific type of tear he experienced or the options he is weighing. This makes any speculation very inexact, as you can see by the tweets above.

It seems fairly evident that Peterson will miss at least some time, thereby giving Zimmer the challenge of pulling his team through the absence of another team leader. With Teddy Bridgewater and now Peterson out, the Vikings will be relying on Bradford and backup running backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata to carry the load. “I have a lot of confidence in those two guys,” Zimmer said. “I think they’re both different types of runners, but I think the combination of the two can help us.”