The Sports Xchange
Running back Adrian Peterson might not miss the rest of the 2016 season, but he won't play until at least Week 11 after the Minnesota Vikings placed him on injured reserve Friday.
Peterson had surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus on Thursday, four days after leaving Minnesota's home opener against the Green Bay Packers with a knee injury.
The Vikings moved Peterson to injured reserve but can activate one player from the list provided he misses eight weeks. Minnesota is planning to split carries between Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata in Week 3 at Carolina.
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Peterson had 31 carries for 50 yards in the first two games of the 2016 season.
There is a chance Peterson will be ready to run for the Vikings again in December and into the playoffs.
Long-term, as in March 2017, the Vikings have a bigger call to make: whether to pay Peterson's $11.75 million base salary, triggered by a $6 million roster bonus due on the third day of the league year. Relative to his age and other running back salaries, that represents a mountain of money, even for a player who has defined the Vikings' offense for more than a decade.
