Vikings Welcome Back 3-Time All-Pro Just in Time for Steelers

The Minnesota Vikings are in a precarious position after two consecutive losses that could have easily been two consecutive wins, and working on a short week to boot.

But amid recent turns of misfortune, and some mistakes, the Vikings got some rejuvenating roster news two days ahead of a must-win Thursday Night Football showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cornerback Patrick Peterson has been removed from the COVID-19/Reserve list and returned to eligible game status. The news broke across social media Tuesday morning, December 7.

“The Vikings announced on Tuesday that CB Patrick Peterson is off the COVID-19/Reserve list,”  The Vikings Wire Twitter account posted online.

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Peterson has Been in and out of Lineup Since Arriving in Minnesota

Peterson has missed a third of his games this season since coming over from Arizona Cardinals, where he’d spent his entire 10-year NFL career.

The corner came up lame with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for a month across October and November, including three games on the injured reserve list (IR) and Minnesota’s bye week.

He then missed last week’s heartbreaking loss to the formerly winless Detroit Lions due to league protocol, an absence that could have made a meaningful difference in the outcome of a game decided on a last-second Lions’ pass play.

Peterson, a Pro-Bowler each of his first eight seasons in the NFL, has not quite reached a level of production for the Vikings similar to the one he maintained consistently in Arizona. Some of that is likely due to injury and the disruptions of routine that come with stints on the IR and a bout with a novel coronavirus.

At 31 years old, Peterson has started all eight games in which he’s played. His lack of obvious impact on the stat sheet does not indicate how much of a cornerstone for the Vikings’ defensive backfield he has proven to be when able to take the field.

Peterson has recorded only 2 passes defensed and 2 tackles for loss this season, per Pro Football Reference. He has a total of 21 tackles on the year and has yet to make an interception.

Still, the savvy veteran has produced meaningful value this year, both in the locker room and on the field. Hopeful Vikings fans can rely on the notion that if Peterson can find some kind of rhythm down the stretch, he can go a long way toward helping the Vikings dig themselves out of the hole in which the last two losses have placed them.

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Disconcerting Injury News may Also be on Horizon for Vikings

While the loss to the Lions will usher in the return of Peterson, it is likely to usher out the team’s second-best wide receiver in Adam Thielen, at least for the immediate future.

Thielen suffered a high ankle sprain during the first quarter against Detroit, leaving the game and proving unable to return. He did not participate in team activities Monday, per the Vikings’ official injury report, and will undergo an MRI.

When they host Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football, Minnesota will likely be without both Thielen and starting running back Dalvin Cook, who tore his labrum the week prior against the San Francisco 49ers. However, Cook did practice as a limited participant Tuesday, leaving open the door he might see action on TNF.

Potentially absent two of their four most important offensive players, the Vikings will need to rely heavily on their defense against the Steelers (6-5-1). That reality makes the return of Peterson to the active roster Tuesday that much more integral to the team’s chances of breaking its unfortunately timed two-game losing streak and maintaining position in a crowded race for three Wildcard berths into the NFC Playoffs.

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