Source: RB Peterson will play against Vikings - 2 minutes read
Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson will play in Thursday's night game against the Minnesota Vikings, barring any pregame setback, a source told ESPN's Josina Anderson.
Peterson is listed as questionable with an ankle injury, but he said Tuesday that extra motivation and a lot of work with the training staff should allow him to face his former team.
The running back told Anderson on Tuesday that he suffered a Grade 1 high ankle sprain and Grade 2 low ankle sprain on a fumble during Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He had an MRI on Monday.
"I feel pretty confident," Peterson said. "[Monday] was rough. I didn't really know. I woke up [Tuesday] morning feeling really good; the swelling had gone down tremendously. Two more days to heal and do the necessary things this training staff put me through -- and the home remedies I do as well -- I should be good."
The Redskins need Peterson, as running back Chris Thompson has been ruled out because of a toe injury.
Peterson, who has rushed for 199 yards the past two weeks combined, had said that facing his former team also provides a boost of adrenaline. Peterson played with the Vikings from 2007 to '16 before leaving as a free agent. He signed with New Orleans in 2017 and played his first game with the Saints at Minnesota, rushing only six times for 18 yards.
He rushed for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns with Minnesota.
"It was always real love," Peterson said Tuesday of his relationship with Vikings fans. "I was there for a decade, and still to this day, I have fans that come to Redskins games that are die-hard Vikings fans because they're Adrian Peterson fans. The love is always going to be there."
Wendell Smallwood is the No. 2 back behind Peterson.
Information from ESPN's John Keim was used in this report.