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Since injuring a meniscus in Week Two against the Packers, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has largely been out of sight, out of mind.

That could be changing, in just a few weeks.

Eligible to return to action from Injured Reserve in Week 11 (November 20), the best guess from within the walls of the organization is that he’ll play again in December.

It’s unknown whether that means early December or late December, or somewhere in between. On the evening of December 1, the Vikings host the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. Thereafter in December, the Vikings play the Jaguars in Jacksonville, the Colts at home, and the Packers in Green Bay.

Whenever he plays, Peterson definitely is making progress. He has been spotted in the team’s facility on a regular basis recently, as he rehabs a knee that was surgically repaired in September.

Although he was sputtering in the first two weeks of the season, Peterson’s presence opens up the offense because defenses continue to obsess over stopping him.