Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson remains a game-time decision for Sunday's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but head coach Leslie Frazieris not optimistic that four-time Pro Bowl back would play, Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press reported Monday.
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"We'll talk about it as the week goes on and see how he's doing, and if it's even a viable option to let him play," Frazier said.
Peterson had targeted a Week 1 return, despite the Sept. 9 date of the Jaguars game being fewer than nine months removed from his surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee.
Peterson already has defied the odds when he was activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list on Aug. 12. With 15 games following the opener, and Peterson less than two weeks removed from being cleared for contact, it would make little sense for the Vikings to Peterson onto the field now.
"You really have to take the emotion out of it" Frazier said. "You really have to hone in what's best for him, what's best for the team. Adrian is not just another guy on our team. He is in so many ways the face of what we try to do. We have to be able to see the big picture when it comes to him. That's the way we'll approach it."
Even if Peterson does play against the Jaguars, he will be limited with Toby Gerhart getting the bulk of the carries.
Follow Brian McIntyre on Twitter _@brianmcintyre_.
