Stephania Bell explaining her OPINION and a super quick summary of Peterson's week
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, ankle (Q): Peterson isn't 100 percent recovered from his high-ankle sprain; he will openly acknowledge that he cannot cut on his ankle the way he normally would nor can he run with a normal gait. According to 1500ESPN.com, Peterson still would like to try to play after increasing his workload this week, despite lingering soreness in the ankle. After not practicing Wednesday, Peterson put in limited work Thursday and Friday, primarily in the form of individual drills and coach Leslie Frazier said he was "encouraged."
Peterson is doing what he is supposed to as a player by getting treatment, doing the work he is able to do on the field and lobbying to play. But the barrage of setbacks around the league by players who have returned (apparently too soon) following high ankle sprains (Sam Bradford,
Kevin Smith) should signal caution. Drills are performed in a controlled environment without contact. After all, Smith reportedly looked good cutting and doing cone drills before he returned to game action. But running and cutting at the speed required in a live game combined with the unpredictable nature of the unavoidable contact a running back draws make Peterson's return from this particular injury risky.
If he does play, he may very well be able to put up some nice numbers. He may also find out that his ankle does not respond as hoped, or worse yet, he could incur further injury. High ankle sprains are particularly problematic because they threaten the integrity of the ankle joint itself and lingering issues here can be career-threatening for a running back. In other words, it would not be a surprise if the Vikings make the decision to hold out the eager Peterson another week, even if he believes he can play.
