Last Saturday, against the Washington Redskins, fans watched in horror as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson’s knee broke the laws of anatomy. Unfortunately for Peterson and the Vikings, the consequences might be costlier than just missing the last game of the 2011 season.

After undergoing an MRI, it was revealed that Peterson had torn both the ACL and MCL in his left knee, among other damage.

Peterson underwent surgery on Friday to repair the torn ligaments and the procedure was a success.

“We’ve received word that Adrian underwent successful knee surgery with Dr. James Andrews and is now resting comfortable,” the Vikings announced Friday afternoon. “Adrian is in our thoughts, we wish him a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him when he returns to Minnesota.”

Typically, this type of injury would take anywhere from eight to nine months to heal before the knee could begin to undergo any sort of physical exertion. The Vikings, however, have already made it clear that they expect Peterson back and ready to go to kick off the 2012 regular season in September.

Despite all of the optimism radiating from the Vikings’ front office and staff, I still have my doubts that Peterson is going to return as the same running back that carved up NFL defenses for the past five seasons.

Don’t get me wrong; I’d love nothing more than to have Peterson suited up and ready to wreak havoc at the beginning of the 2012 NFL season. He’s the centerpiece of the Vikings’ offense and the prime building block for the future of this franchise. But to be so optimistic about an injury that could hinder Peterson for the rest of his life seems a bit naïve.

To illustrate my point, I call your attention to the Daunte Culpepper fallout of 2005.

Arguably the last quality quarterback the Vikings could call their own, Culpepper was on the verge of carving his own niche in the NFL. He was coming off of a 2004 season that saw him throw for 4,717 yards while setting the since-broken NFL record for total yards in a single-season by a quarterback with 5,123. The Vikings’ former first-round pick was a three-time Pro Bowler in his first six years in the NFL. For Culpepper, everything was falling into place until one fateful day in 2005 against the Carolina Panthers.

During a Vikings’ mid-season matchup with the Panthers, Culpepper had his knee taken out, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in the process. I won’t bore you with any numbers, but it’s safe to say that Culpepper was never the same player after rehabbing from the devastating injury. He spent a few more years jumping from team to team in the NFL before finally settling for the UFL, where he still struggles to dominate against much weaker opposition. Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, Culpepper made himself available to quarterback-needy NFL teams, and not a single team bit.

Although many will argue that Peterson will be fine considering that he didn’t pull off the tear trifecta a la Culpepper and he’s a different breed of athlete, a knee is a knee. Regardless of the person or their will to persevere, a knee simply isn’t supposed to bend that way and damage like that is usually a life-long limitation.

A big reason as to why Peterson is so great is his ability to cut on a dime and burst through the hole with overwhelming strength. That relentless power and explosiveness that he runs with makes him so dangerous. However, with a knee injury of this magnitude, that explosiveness and burst are gone. No stable knee equals no bowling over defenders with ease. Without strong, healthy knee ligaments, Peterson can’t cut properly and the Vikings’ homerun threat is degraded to a one-dimensional back who is better off watching from the sidelines.

The biggest factor at this point will be how Peterson’s knee responds to the rehabilitation and whether or not the Vikings wait until he’s as ready as can be. The worst thing Peterson could do is play prematurely and cause even more damage to the knee. Especially at a wear-and-tear heavy position like running back, Peterson’s at horrible risk of causing irreparable damage if he plays before the knee is 100 percent healthy.

The Vikings will play Peterson when they feel he is ready, and he’s a smart enough player to not insert himself into the lineup before his knee is properly prepared to take a beating. The main concern, though, is whether or not we’ll ever see the lethal version of No. 28 again.

If there’s any player who can bounce back from an injury of this magnitude and still play at the same level, it’s Peterson. He’s as elite of an athlete as they come, and he’ll be working non-stop offseason to get himself primed for football. Add in the training prowess of Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman and you’ve got a recipe for success. I reiterate, though: there’s a reason knees don’t bend sideways.

I’m not rooting for him to fail; I’m just trying to prepare you for the reality that All Day may never again play like the All Day so many Vikings fans have come to know and love.

Could this be the beginning of the Toby Gerhart era in Minnesota? Only time will tell.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a life-long follower of the Minnesota Vikings and the founder of TheVikingDen.com. For more Vikings/NFL coverage, follow him on Twitter or “like” The Viking Den on Facebook.

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has scheduled surgery to repair his left knee.

Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation Friday in Alabama, six days after Peterson tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his knee while being tackled in a game against the Washington Redskins.

Coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson will be back in Minnesota on Monday for the team’s season-ending meetings. His rehabilitation work will be done in Minnesota and his home state of Texas.

Peterson was on crutches Thursday when he entered the locker room, but he didn’t speak to reporters. He finished the season with 970 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing in 12 games.

The Vikings have said they expect him to be ready for next year’s opener.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson
has scheduled surgery to repair his left knee.

Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation Friday in Alabama, six days
after Peterson tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his
knee while being tackled in a game against the Washington Redskins.

Coach Leslie Frazier said Peterson will be back in Minnesota on Monday for
the team’s season-ending meetings. His rehabilitation work will be done in
Minnesota and his home state of Texas.

Peterson was on crutches Thursday when he entered the locker room, but he
didn’t speak to reporters. He finished the season with 970 yards and 12
touchdowns rushing in 12 games.

The Vikings have said they expect him to be ready for next year’s opener.

The athletic abilities of star running back Adrian Peterson led
the Minnesota Vikings to give him a seven-year, $100 million
contract extension before the season started.

Now, they hope his recuperative abilities are just as good and
he is able to live up to being the highest-paid running back in the
NFL.

Minnesota expects Peterson to be recovered from left knee
surgery for two torn ligaments in time to start the 2012
season.

“We expect most people to recover from this injury in eight to
nine months and instead of comparing Adrian to any other player at
any level that’s had an anterior cruciate ligament, and they happen
every day, I would really like Adrian to stand on his own merit
because Adrian, I feel, is very unique,” Vikings head trainer Eric
Sugarman said Monday.

“Adrian has a great work ethic. Adrian has the DNA to heal
quickly, which he has shown in the past. He certainly will have the
desire and the mental toughness to be able to get through the rehab
process, which will take months and months, as you know. So, I
think if anyone can get better quickly and safely in that time
period, it would be Adrian Peterson.”

Peterson tore his ACL and MCL when he was hit in the side of the
knee by Washington Redskins safety DeJon Gomes in the third quarter
of Saturday’s 33-26 win at Washington. An MRI on Saturday evening
revealed the ligament tears and meniscus damage, and Peterson will
undergo surgery within the next seven to 10 days.

Backup Toby Gerhart, who started three games earlier this season
when Peterson was out with a high ankle sprain, will start Sunday
in the season-finale against the Chicago Bears. A second-round pick
in 2010, Gerhart has filled in well for Peterson and notched the
first 100-yard rushing game of his career with 109 yards on 11
carries Saturday. But the Vikings expect Gerhart’s time as the
starter to be short-lived.

“He sets his goals extremely high and he’s one of those guys
who, when he puts his mind to it, there’s no reason to ever doubt
that he can achieve what he sets his mind to,” Minnesota coach
Leslie Frazier said of Peterson. “We’re looking forward to his
attacking this rehab like he’s attacked every offseason, to come
back and play and be even better than he was before. I know with
Eric and our medical staff, they’re going to do everything they can
to get him back on the field and ready to go when we line up in
that first football game next season.”

Gerhart’s emergence over the past month at least offers optimism
if Peterson has to miss extended time next season.

Gerhart has had the top three rushing days of his career in the
past four weeks. On his first carry after Peterson left Saturday’s
game, Gerhart showed some big-play ability of his own, busting free
for a 67-yard run, the longest of his short career.

Believing Peterson will be ready for the first game of 2012 and
knowing Gerhart is available if needed, Frazier said the team
wouldn’t change its run-first offensive approach.

“One of things about Adrian’s absence earlier in the season, we
had a chance to get Toby some extended snaps and we really haven’t
altered the offense by any means,” Frazier said. “Toby has done a
very good job in Adrian’s absence. Did a great job (Saturday) of
stepping in and performing and rushing for over 100 yards. So we
really haven’t had to alter things. We really don’t plan to. We
look forward to eventually getting Adrian back on the field, but we
don’t think we have to really alter the offense.”