Adrian Peterson was cleared for practice on Sunday, the latest stage in what has been a speedy recovery for the Minnesota Vikings star.
Perhaps too speedy, according to Jerry Rice.
On Monday, the Hall of Fame wideout discussed his own accelerated comeback from a similar knee injury suffered during the 1997 season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Rice suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in Week 1 of that season and made a dramatic return on a Monday night in Week 16. He re-injured the knee in the game.
"I cracked my patella," Rice said on ESPN's "NFL Live" via ProFootballTalk. "I feel that I rushed myself back to the football field. And I think that with Adrian Peterson, he's doing the same thing.
"Because we are accustomed to being out there with the guys, sweating with the guys, fighting on the football field. And if you're not able to do that you just don't feel connected. And that's the reason why I rushed back. I hope he doesn't do the same thing."
Peterson underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee on Dec. 30. If Peterson plays for the Vikings in Week 1, he'll be on the field approximately nine months after suffering the injury. Rice sawed his cast off following his own surgery and came back in 14 weeks.
Peterson is aggressively optimistic. Rice was borderline masochistic.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
