Adrian Peterson designated for return from IR, will practice with the Vikings this week

Adrian Peterson was targeting a mid-December return to the Minnesota Vikings from a torn meniscus, as long as the team was still in playoff contention. The Vikings have announced that Peterson is officially designated to return from injured reserve, and the team confirmed he would return to practice on Wednesday.

Peterson said during a radio interview with D.J. Skee on Dash Radio Monday that he was going to return to practice with the Vikings this week.

“I plan on practicing this week to really get my legs under me and get a good feel on where I’m at,” Peterson said. “So, this week is going to be big for me. My plan, and my vision, is to be back for the Green Bay game [on Dec. 24]. That’s what I’m envisioning.”

Each team is permitted to designate one player for return from injured reserve. The player can practice with the team for a maximum of 21 days before being activated for a game. Peterson’s plan to come back for the Week 16 matchup with Green Bay fits those parameters.

Peterson tore his meniscus against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 of the NFL season. A meniscus tear is not as serious of an injury as torn ligaments in the knee, and it’s typically easy to return, though Peterson’s tear was a bucket-handle tear. That’s the most serious form of the injury and requires surgical repair and carries a longer recovery time.

When Peterson tore his ACL and MCL late in the 2011 season, he was able to get back on the field for Week 1 of 2012. It was an unusually swift recovery, and he went on to be named league MVP that season.

Peterson said coming back for the Green Bay game on Christmas Eve isn’t ideal, but it may be necessary.

“Of course, the perfect scenario would be we win out and I’m able to rest up for three weeks, and be ready for the playoffs,” Peterson said. “That’s the perfect scenario. But I’ll be out there this week practicing, and I’ll go from there.”

The Vikings got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 5-0 start before losing six of their next eight games. The offense has been a problem, and Minnesota’s rushing offense is ranked last in the league with just 73.4 yards per game.

At 7-6, Minnesota remains in the playoff hunt despite trailing the division-leading Detroit Lions by two games. If Peterson is able to return, it may be the spark the Vikings need to lock up a postseason bid.