Vikings' Adrian Peterson sits out another practice with injured ankle

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is giving his sprained ankle additional rest this week so he'll be ready to face the Cardinals on Sunday. (US Presswire)

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson sat out the second day of practice resting his sprained ankle. He suffered the injury two weeks ago when the Vikings played the Titans, and he has not missed any game time since. The coaching staff is resting him this week at practice to make sure he is ready to go on Sunday.

“[The] ankle's coming along. Feeling pretty good,” Peterson said before Thursday's practice. “I am starting to get more strength into it; the soreness is starting to go away. Just taking it one day at a time.”

Peterson spent the initial part of Thursday's practice indoors getting more treatment on the ankle. Given that he is still recovering from his torn ACL and MCL surgery that he suffered at the end of last season, the extra time off can't hurt.

“When you've got a nagging injury like this, you've got to stay on top of it,” he said. “[You need to] get the rest, continue strengthening it, just do the necessary things to get you through that push to Sunday.”

Peterson said the ankle hampered him only a little bit last Sunday against Washington.

“But it wasn't anything that kept me from breaking loose from someone,” he said. “It was more like cutting and downhill plays, power plays, really being as explosive as I wanted to getting to the hole. I kind of figured it might be like that, but I was able to fight through it.”

That challenge to rebound will become greater next week when the Vikings play a game just four days after the Cardinals game on Thursday Night Football, and Peterson said that his resting this week is being done with that short week in mind. But he says with the proper rest and treatment, he will get through it.

“Most importantly, mentally, making sure your mind is ready for it,” Peterson said of the quick turnaround. “Because your body might not be fully ready for it, but mentally you can push your body to get through it.”

For Peterson, who came back from the knee injury and played opening day just eight months removed from surgery, you have to believe he can.

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