Adrian Peterson Says He’s “Not Far Off At All” from Finished Recovery
By Ben Gotz
Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
When the Vikings could start reporting to Winter Park on Monday, one notable name was absent. Still recovering from his groin surgery in January, Adrian Peterson doesn’t know when he’ll join his teammates.
“I haven’t been able to put a date on [when I’ll be there], but yeah, I do [plan to] as far as participating,” Peterson said on a conference call with reporters. “Right now, the most important thing is being healthy.”
Peterson revealed to reporters that he initially hurt his groin in the game against Dallas on Nov. 3. Peterson continued to play through the injury until he was finally shut down for the season after being pulled in Week 16 at Cincinnati. Peterson sat the final game of the season against Detroit and underwent groin surgery after the season.
It was Peterson’s third offseason surgery in three years. At this point, he’s no stranger to the recovery process.
“I can’t sit here and say I’m back right now,” Peterson said. “But I am not far off at all.”
If Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner have their way, Peterson will not still be in recovery when offseason workouts start next year. Turner has already says that he wants Peterson to take less hits this season to prevent wear and tear on Peterson’s body.
29 years old and with already over 2,000 rushing attempts in his career, it’s no secret that Peterson’s time in the NFL is growing thin. Zimmer and Turner know that the best way to maximize the time Peterson has left is trying to make sure this is the last conference call he has to make while rehabbing an injury.