Vikings RB Toby Gerhart out indefinitely with knee sprain - NFL News
The Minnesota Vikings are facing an injury crisis at running back with Toby Gerhart now out for a long period with a knee sprain.
The running back suffered the injury on Sunday during the Vikings final game of the regular season against Chicago Bears. The Vikings lost the encounter 17-13 to end the season with a poor 3-13 record. Coach Leslie Frazier is now looking at two running backs
of his squad who will be rehabilitating in the off season with knee injuries.
Gerhart has rushed for 531 yards this season from 109 attempts scoring a single touchdown. The running back has also covered 190 yards in receiving from 23 receptions scoring three receiving touchdowns.
"He does have an MCL for sure," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Tuesday, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We're in hopes that he will not have to have surgery, but we'll have to revisit it in about three weeks."
The running back had to be taken off the field by medical staff after injuring the knee during a collision with Chicago Bears linebacker Major Wright in the third quarter. The running back is out for an as yet indefinite period as the nature and scope of
the injury is still undetermined. If Gerhart has to undergo surgery then the rehabilitation period will increase greatly and the Vikings could have to start preparations in the off season without their two main running backs.
Adrian Peterson is already about to start his rehab after undergoing surgery for his own knee-sprain that has kept him out for much of the Vikings season. Peterson was given a new multimillion dollar contract in the preseason that made him the league’s highest
paid running back. However, Peterson’s loss to successive injuries hampered the Vikings season as they matched the record for the worst season in franchise history.
"He's back in town now, as you can imagine, going 100 mph with the rehab, doing a good job, and so far, so good," Frazier said of Peterson. "There are some benchmarks that he'll have to hit along the way, but at this point, everything is moving in the right
direction."
Quarterback Christian Ponder was also in and out of the squad with a hip pointer as the Vikings season started going from bad to worse.
With both running back’s undergoing recoveries from injuries the Vikings will look to bring in cover during the 2012 drafts for their injury prone stars as they prepare for a new season under Coach Leslie Frazier.
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