Vikings' Peterson faces surgery Thursday; return unknown

Adrian Peterson,Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) tries to break a tackle by Green Bay Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, left, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Minneapolis.
Andy Clayton-King | AP

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson will have surgery Thursday to deal with a torn meniscus in his left knee and it's not clear when, or if, he'll return to play this season, Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday.

Peterson was injured in the third quarter of Minnesota's 17-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers Sunday night. He needed help getting off the field and crutches to exit U.S. Bank Stadium.

Zimmer said Peterson's status this year depends on how doctors choose to treat the injury on Thursday.

"We'll find out during the surgery how bad it is," he told reporters, adding it "could be season ending, could be three weeks, four weeks. I don't know."

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Zimmer also said starting offensive lineman Matt Kalil is expected to be lost for the season with a hip injury that will require surgery. He was placed on the team's injured reserve list.

The loss of Peterson and Kalil bring new challenges to the Vikings offense, which also had to cope with the season-ending loss at training camp of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who went down with a knee injury.

Still, the Vikings are 2-0 to start the season and new quarterback Sam Bradford had a solid game against the Packers. The Vikings on Wednesday also announced the signing of running back Ronnie Hillman and said running back Jerick McKinnon will start Sunday in the game against the Carolina Panthers.

"This team, to me, is resilient," Zimmer told reporters. "They're tough. They're competitive. Obviously, we've had a few setbacks but ... we're not the type of team that's gonna sit back and cry about what's happened."