Turns out AP will not be starting a running program by the end of this month. (AP)

Eye on Football staff report

INDIANAPOLIS -- Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has talked lately about returning to a running schedule by Feb. 28 in his attempt to rehab his torn ACL/MCL from the end of last season. During his talk with reporters Friday, though, Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier threw cold water all over Peterson’s optimism.

“He’s very optimistic about where he is in his rehab and the progress he’s making,” Frazier said. “He’s come along. He’s right on schedule, and he feels he’s ahead of schedule. But we do have to temper his emotions at times.”

Frazier said he and Peterson talked about that point Thursday, and that probably stems from a radio interview Peterson conducted earlier this week when he said, “I’m definitely making improvement. I’m starting to get my muscle tone and strength back into the legs. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. I’m extremely happy.”

Besides, Frazier knows what can happen when Peterson attempts to return to the field before he’s completely healthy. That is, after all, what happened in December when Peterson returned from a high ankle sprain so his fantasy owners wouldn’t be mad at him. Peterson ended up suffering that gruesome season-ending injury after taking a helmet to the knee (Peterson actually heard the knee go pop-pop-pop).

“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.”

First up for Peterson before he can run on land is to begin running in the pool. Considering Peterson wanted to start running four days from now without running in the pool first, that’s just not going to happen with Frazier looming over his shoulder.

So, will Peterson stop trying to get himself ahead of schedule and stay the course set by his doctors?

“He’s begun to understand that he’s got to listen to the doctors and go at the pace they expect him to and not try to force this,” Frazier said. “Because he can do more damage than he realizes.”

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Peterson says he knew he tore his ACL 'immediately.' (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

Late in the 2011 season, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered a gruesome-looking injury that immediately looked like it would require surgery and shut him down for the year. It was, in fact, a season-ending ACL tear.

And Peterson knew it immediately too. He said on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday that he both heard and felt the injury when it happened.

"Immediately I knew my ACL was tore and just wanted to see what else I had damaged," Peterson said. "I heard three pops -- it was real quick, 'pop-pop-pop. And I definitely felt it."

Peterson recently said he'd start running on February 28, and told Patrick he was "not yet"able to run yet, but was optimistic about his recovery for the beginning of 2012 and said he was ahead of his rehabilitation schedule.

"Right now my goal is to be back for the first regular season game," Peterson said. "That's my goal. The recovery time for an ACL is eight-to-nine months so right now I'm ahead of schedule. So I'm just trying to be patient and not overdo myself. But it's going good so far."

Recovering in time for the next year from an ACL tear that occurred at the end of one season is an aggressive timeline. It's precisely why Peterson had surgery immediately after the injury occurred.

But Peterson is a special athlete and it's entirely plausible that he'll be recovered in time for the start of 2012 year (this is precisely why we took him in the second round of our first offseason mock draft in a CBS experts league).

The Vikings should learn a good lesson from Peterson's last recovery, though. When you're dealing with a franchise running back, there's really no need to rush him onto the field. The results can be disastrous.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Rice is good, but is he worth 'AP money'? (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

One guy we expect to see franchised over the next fortnight or so is Ravens running back Ray Rice. Rice is an unrestricted free agent, is just 25, and is one of only 16 NFL players since the merger to accumulate multiple seasons with 2,000 or more yards from scrimmage. But we also expect Rice and the Ravens to work out a new long-term deal; Rice said he's OK with the tag provided it leads to such a deal.

Latest NFL News, Notes

Kirwan: Clubs could chase PIT WR Wallace Brinson: Could Flacco get "top-five" money? Judge: Big questions heading into NFL combine Wilson: Seattle emerging as fave for Peyton? Prisco: Best free-agent matches for each team Podcast: Best free-agent WRs available in 2012 Eye on Football: Latest NFL free-agency news

But his expectations might be too high: Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes Monday morning that he's hearing Rice "wants an Adrian Peterson-type of contract" for his next deal.

Unfortunately, that's probably not happening. Prior to the 2011 season, Peterson signed a seven-year deal worth up to $100 million, with $36 million guaranteed.

That's "best running back in the NFL" money, and Peterson might be lone exception when discussing running backs who are worthy of that kind of cheddar. (Of course, Peterson spent much of 2011 dealing with a high-ankle sprain that Leslie Frazier later parlayed into a torn ACL by rushing his franchise player back onto the field too quickly.)

Rice, as talented as he is, isn't worth that much money. The Ravens know this and they won't give Rice "AP money." King writes as much, saying that he "doesn't see them going anywhere near that for Rice," although he believes that Baltimore will find a way to get Rice his cash.

A closer approximation to what Rice could get? The deal the Carolina Panthers handed DeAngelo Williams after the 2011 lockout. Williams got a five-year, $43 million deal with $21 million guaranteed.

Rice is more valuable than Williams (the stats bear that out, particularly in 2011), but Williams deal was -- and remains -- a straight-up overpay. The Panthers threw the market for "franchise running backs" out of whack, and now guys like Rice and Matt Forte, who run a lot of risk by only playing for a one-year guaranteed deal in 2011, will suffer because of it.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

Peterson is set to begin running Feb. 28. (Getty Images)

By Josh Katzowitz

After tearing his ACL and MCL on Christmas, Adrian Peterson underwent surgery on Dec. 30, and a few days later, CBS Sports’ Charley Casserly said we could expect Peterson back at the start of the 2012 season.

The Vikings running back seems to be sticking to that schedule, as Peterson says he plans to start running Feb. 28.

That’s what he told KFAN 100.3 (via scout.com), saying, “I’m definitely making improvement. I’m starting to get my muscle tone and strength back into the legs. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. I’m extremely happy.”

Since his surgery, he’s been in touch with the Vikings while rehabbing his knee in Houston.

But as he should, he’s trying to be cautious and trying not to do too much too soon. His physical therapist is making sure Peterson keeps that mindset.

“He’s making sure I’m doing the right things. It feels strong, but he doesn’t want me to push it too much,” Peterson said.

After all, if the Vikings are going to stick with quarterback Christian Ponder, it pays to have one of the league’s best running backs fully healthy for your offense.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

By Josh Katzowitz

New Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has been making the radio rounds today, and we already told you that he declared Christian Ponder to be the starting quarterback for next season (though Spielman didn’t say necessarily that Ponder was the quarterback of the future).

But you might be asking yourself this: Wait a tick, how did Spielman, the former vice president of player personnel, get promoted to the GM spot when the Vikings are coming off a 3-13 season? I commend you for thinking of that, because it’s a good question.

"I think what the ownership is doing is they see the body of work that's been done,” Spielman said, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I think what they want to see is by putting this structure in place, is this going to help clarify things on how we're doing things moving forward? And I know in this role, you're going to have to prove yourself. You're going to have to make the right decisions. You're going to have to get this football team better. But that's part of making some changes and putting me in this role."

Before, the Vikings had shared authority with coach Leslie Frazier and other team executives. Now, it’ll be the traditional hierarchy of the GM controlling the personnel, the owners controlling the fate of Frazier, and Frazier controlling his coaching staff.

“With the general manager's title, you're going to be out in front more, dealing with issues that do arise,” Spielman said. “You're going to know from the standpoint of when we do make personnel moves and personnel decisions who's responsible for those decisions? It's not going to be, 'Did he do this?' Or 'Did he do that?' It's all my responsibility now. That's going to be the biggest change. Now when we start making roster moves and things like that, the coaches and everybody will be involved in that process. But I'll have the ability to make the final say on how we're going to move forward.”

Spielman was previously the GM in Miami, though his time with the Dolphins was short and unproductive. In Minnesota, he’s made some solid moves, including trading for Jared Allen and drafting Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin.

Basically, now, Spielman’s neck is on the line. If the team improves, that’s great and he'll get the credit. If not, now the fans can put a face on the organization’s failures, and it'll be the face of Spielman.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

It could've been worse: AP is expected to be ready to play by the start of the 2012 season. (AP)

By Ryan Wilson

Any postseason hopes for the Vikings have long since vanished, and last week, they lost their best player, Adrian Peterson, to a torn MCL and ACL in a meaningless Week 16 matchup against the Redskins. The injury was so serious that the early speculation was that Peterson could miss the start of the 2012 season.

Turns out, there's some good news courtesy of CBS Sports' NFL Insider Charley Casserly. From Sunday's appearance on The NFL Today:

"Dr. (James) Andrews said that they can expect him back for opening day this coming year," Casserly told CBS' James Brown. "In fact, there's even a chance he could come back a little sooner because of what I would call Adrian Peterson's exceptional physical traits."

That's welcome news for an organization that could use some. As it stands, the Vikings are 3-12 and head into their Week 17 matchup with the Bears holding the third-overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

Charley Casserly spoke with James Brown about Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson's recovery from a knee injury.

---

Follow all the Week 17 action live: Inactives | Scoreboard

1 p.m. ET games:
DET-GB | TEN-HOU | IND-JAC | NYJ-MIA | CHI-MIN | BUF-NE | CAR-NO | WAS-PHI | SF-STL

4 p.m. ET games:
TB-ATL | BAL-CIN | PIT-CLE | SEA-ARI | KC-DEN | SD-OAK

---

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're at it, add our RSS Feed.

AP will go under the knife on Friday. (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

The Vikings aren't wasting any time when it comes to getting Adrian Peterson under the knife -- the star running back, who tore his ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve and is expected to miss eight to nine months, will undergo surgery on Friday.

That's according to our Vikings Rapid Reporter Joe Oberle who reports that Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery.

"[We’re] praying that everything goes well," coach Leslie Frazier said on Thursday. "We'll get an update after the surgery."

That Peterson is undergoing surgery less than a week after suffering the injury tells you exactly what kind of timeline the Vikings are up against -- waiting any longer to get Peterson working on rehab could seriously effect how quickly he can return. As it is now, Peterson will be pushing it to make a Week 1 return even if everything goes smoothly.

After the surgery, Peterson will return to Minnesota for rehab.

"He’ll do a portion of it here and we’re going to talk more about what’s the best way to do it," Frazier said per Oberle. "He wants to do the best thing for him, and I think the best thing would be to do a great deal of it here."

The best thing for Peterson -- and for the Vikings -- is to be prudent with his health at this point. Frazier and the team erred, clearly, in putting Peterson on the field in a meaningless game while he was dealing with an injury.

They'd be wise to remember that before trying to rush him back for Week 1 in 2012.


For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.

2012 could already be a problem for AP. (Getty Images)

By Will Brinson

On Saturday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson suffered an absolutely horrific injury. On Monday, trainer Eric Sugarman announced that Peterson tore his ACL, MCL and both the media and lateral meniscus in his left knee, will require surgery soon and is expected to miss eight to nine months of time doing rehab and recovery.

Per our Vikings Rapid Reporter Joe Oberle, that "leaves his PCL, LCL and chondral surface of his knee non-injured."

"Basically our goal now with Adrian is restore his range of motion, decrease the swelling and keep his quadriceps strong in order to prepare him for surgery, which is going to probably be in the next 7-10 days," Sugarman said. "We expect most people to recover from this injury in 8-9 months and instead of comparing Adrian to any other player at any level that has ever had an anterior cruciate ligament, and they happen every day, I really would like Adrian to stand on his own merit."

Week 16 Recap

Brinson: Cam's 2011 greatest rookie year ever Prisco: Stafford, Detroit get A+ for clinching Judge: Wild-card status not so bad in 2011 Freeman: Pack's got a cake-walk to Super Bowl

Therefore, it's quite possible the beginning of next year could be in danger for Peterson as well. Sports Illustrated's Peter King spoke to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier on Sunday and, while the coach is optimistic, reading between the lines makes it pretty clear that Peterson won't come into 2012 fully healthy.

"Wes Welker's rare," Frazier told King. "But I talked to Adrian on the plane on the way home last night. He's down, of course. But he will attack his rehab viciously. He is such a strong-minded guy. We won't know everything about the damage until the surgery is done, but we think if everything goes perfectly, Adrian will be back to play at the start of next season.

"I think he'll turn out to be one of those case studies people look at when they want to see how a guy rehabbed to come back strong."

First, let me point out that I actually kind of agree with Frazier here: Peterson is a beast, and if there was one person in the NFL who needed to work hard enough to beat a medical timeline, Peterson is that guy. Additionally, he's returned from a major injury (a broken collarbone he suffered while diving into the end zone in college) before and dominated after it.

But that doesn't mean that Frazier should get off light simply because Peterson is a physical freak of nature. As noted in "Sorting the Sunday Pile," the Vikings have been running out banged-up players in games that don't matter all year and now it's could cost Frazier in a big way when it comes to the success in his second year as Vikings coach.

My colleague Charley Casserly agreed too, pointing out that someone with the Vikings should have "dragged out" Peterson's rehab for the rest of the season to make sure he was healthy heading into the offseason.

There was simply no need for AP to be on the field during a meaningless game at the end of a lost season. And as a result, it's possible it could cost the Vikings well into the next season.


For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, subscribe to our NFL newsletter, and while you're add it, add our RSS Feed.