Surgery over, rehab begins for Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson underwent knee surgery Thursday and will begin rehabbing immediately. Whether the 31-year-old returns to the Minnesota roster ever again is unclear.

The Vikings announced Thursday morning that Peterson, diagnosed with a torn meniscus and lateral collateral ligament, had surgery in Minneapolis four days after leaving the team's win over the Green Bay Packers with the injury.

"Adrian Peterson had a successful lateral meniscus repair this morning," the team said. "The surgery was performed by team physician Chris Larson at Twin Cities Orthopedics. There were no additional injuries or issues noted in or surrounding the knee joint during the surgical procedure. The rehabilitation process will begin immediately."

Peterson had 31 carries for 50 yards in the first two games of the 2016 season.

In the short term, the Vikings' decision centers on how to divide Peterson's workload.

Jerick McKinnon will handle the primary workload with Matt Asiata serving as a short-yardage and goal line runner.

There is a chance Peterson will be ready to run for the Vikings again in December and into the playoffs.

Long-term, as in March 2017, the Vikings have a bigger call to make: whether to pay Peterson's $11.75 million base salary, triggered by a $6 million roster bonus due on the third day of the league year. Relative to his age and other running back salaries, that represents a mountain of money, even for a player who has defined the Vikings' offense for more than a decade.