All serious knee injuries can get professional athletes down psychologically, but suffering one in a meaningless game near the end of the season usually makes matters worse. That’s the case for NFL running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings who’ll be out of action for the rest of this season and at least six more months after it concludes due to a torn MCL and ACL his left knee.
Peterson suffered the damage in his team’s 33-26 victory against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 24 and will have the ligaments surgically repaired early in the New Year. Vikings’ trainer Eric Sugarman said it takes most people eight or nine months to recover from similar injuries and Peterson should be ready for the start of 2012 NFL season.
Peterson signed a $100 million, seven-year contract extension prior to the season and isn’t in danger of missing any playoff games this season since the Vikings were sporting a record of 3-12 when he was injured with just one game remaining in the regular season.
Peterson said he was in a lot of pain after getting hit in the game against Washington and knew he had done some serious damage to his knee as soon as he was tackled by DeJon Gomes early in the second half. Along with tearing the anterior and medial collateral ligaments, he also suffered some other damage to his knee. However, the Vikings feel Peterson’s work ethic and history of fast recoveries will enable him to play next fall.
But regardless of when he returns, many Minnesota fans are wondering how the injuries and five seasons of wear and tear will affect his play next season. They’re worried that Peterson’s speed may be the first thing to decline, but his breakaway speed has actually decreased slightly over the past few years and he’s still proved to be a productive running back. Another concern will be his strength and the psychological issues that may be related to the injury.
A lot of pro athletes aren’t as effective when they return to action from serious knee injuries because they favour the knee and are overly cautious. Their previous injuries are often in the back of their minds and can subconsciously cause them to play in a more conservative manner. This would be a major setback for the 26-year-old since he’s just entering the prime of his career.
However on the bright side, some players come back stronger than ever after similar injuries, just look at Carson Palmer, Edgerrin James, and Wes Welker for example. The ligaments can usually be repaired, but the key is how much cartilage damage did Peterson suffer when Gomes’ helmet struck his knee and caused it to buckle. If the cartilage damage is minimal then there’s a good chance Peterson should be able to pick up his career right where he left off.
