Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will not play in either of the team's final two preseason games, a decision coach Leslie Frazier confirmed Tuesday.
So now comes the logical next question: Is it a 100 percent certainty that Peterson will be on the field Sept. 9 when the regular season opens against Jacksonville?
"My goal is the same," Peterson said. "I want to be out there for that first game. So we'll see. That's where my mindset is. It hasn't changed at all. I'd be cheating myself if I said it was, uh, 95 percent [probable] or 85 percent. That's not the way I think."
If it were solely up to Peterson, he'd have put himself back in full-contact drills and exhibition games months ago. But the Vikings long ago wrestled such decisions away from their star running back, continuing to take the ultra-safe route.
To date, Peterson has done nothing but impress the coaches and medical staff with his recovery from knee surgery. Still, he returned to practice just last week, and the "Do Not Touch" rule Frazier established for Peterson has yet to be lifted.
Hence, the caution being shown in holding Peterson out of the preseason.
Over the next week and a half, the Vikings want to make certain they can test Peterson's instincts, quickness and comfort level in a controlled environment before exposing him to the high speeds of game action.
"Part of it," Frazier said, "is how he responds when some of the guys put a pad on him. How does he handle that? And when bodies fall down in front of him, how does he handle that? Does he stop and plant like the Adrian of old or does he just come to a standstill where he's [vulnerable] to taking a really serious hit?"
