PETERSON PLANS RETURN, BUT IT COMES WITH CAVEAT
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson says his surgically repaired knee is responding well to running and cutting as he ramps up his workload in hopes of returning to the field.
Asked by USA TODAY Sports in the locker room Wednesday if he expects to return this season, Peterson said, “That’s my plan.”
But in a session with other reporters — his first since surgery Sept. 22 to repair a torn lateral meniscus — Peterson added that he’ll only come back this season if the Vikings remain in playoff contention, “for obvious reasons.”
Minnesota has lost six of its last seven games, leaving the team two games back (plus a tiebreaker) of the Detroit Lions in the NFC North standings and one game back in the NFC wild-card race at 6-6 with four games to play.
Peterson told USA TODAY Sports the initial timeline doctors gave him for recovery was four to six months.
He knew it was going to be a challenge to play again in 2016, but he has beaten the clock with his rehabilitation before.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said there are no other determining factors to Peterson’s return besides health, but he has no timetable for when that could happen.
Complicating matters is Peterson’s contract. He’s due a $6 million roster bonus in March as part of $18 million in 2017 compensation — a virtually prohibitive salary for a running back who will turn 32 that month and is coming off a significant injury that has limited him to two games.
Team officials have said many times they want Peterson to retire with the Vikings, so it’s likely the team will approach him about a new deal sometime in the coming months that would reduce what he’s owed in exchange for guaranteed money and perhaps extend the contract beyond next season.