Vikings Embrace 'Next Man Up' Mentality As Peterson, Kalil Go Out
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- People inside the Vikings organization say Adrian Peterson has lost enough before his knee injury Sunday that they have real concerns if he will ever play again for the Vikings.
On Wednesday, coach Mike Zimmer announced that the star running back would undergo surgery on his torn meniscus, and that he'll be out for at least three weeks, if not the rest of the year.
To fill Peterson's role on the team, the Vikings brought in Ronnie Hillman, a veteran of the Denver Broncos.
Meanwhile, another blow was dealt to the team. Matt Kalil, a starting offensive tackle, will also be out for the season, the Vikings announced.
This all comes after the Vikes lost their starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who tore is ACL during practice ahead of the team's first official game this season.
At Winter Park on Wednesday, the team as processing.
"We can't control what happens to another player," said Cordarrelle Patterson, a Vikings receiver. "You know, it's always next man up. Next man up has got to be ready."
Hillman, the next man up for Peterson, says he's good-to-go. Meanwhile, the man replacing Kalil will be T.J. Clemmings.
"It's just up to us to do what we have to do," said Andre Smith, a Vikings tackle. "T.J.'s been working extremely hard this pre-season and all offseason at left tackle, so I believe he's going to do a great job."
If there is a silver lining in this string of Vikings injuries, it's this: The team is conditioned to adversity.
"We just have to understand that that's the NFL," defensive end Brian Robison said. "No one's going to feel sorry for you."