Minnesota
Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin will have minor shoulder surgery
soon to address a nagging injury he played with last season.
Harvin
revealed the news via Twitter on Monday night, and Vikings coach Leslie
Frazier confirmed it on Tuesday while attending a speaking event for
his close friend, former NFL coach Tony Dungy. Frazier declined to
specify which shoulder was hurt, but he said Harvin sprained the AC
joint during the season.
Harvin
felt some pain in recent weeks while weightlifting, and an examination
revealed some minor damage that will be fixed with an arthroscopic
procedure that will require only a couple of weeks of recovery time. The
Vikings have their first spring practice, known around the league as
organized team activities, on May 29. Harvin tweeted that he’d be ready
in time to take part in OTAs and Frazier said the procedure “should not
create any problems for anything we’re doing this offseason.”
Harvin,
a former standout at Florida, appeared on the injury report several
times in 2011, but not specifically for his shoulder. He played with
bruised ribs, a finger problem and an illness.
“When
he left after the season there was no talk of any problems, but when he
was lifting and working out he just kept getting this pain in his
shoulder so he came back up, took a look at it and made the decision to
clean this up,” Frazier said.
Frazier
also delivered an optimistic update on running back Adrian Peterson’s
recovery. Peterson, who tore the ACL in his left knee during a game last
December, began running a couple of weeks ago.
“Everybody’s impressed with his movement and the things he was able to do, so he’s on schedule,” Frazier said.
Keeping
the ever-eager Peterson, who is expected by the Vikings to be healed in
time for the start of the regular season, from pushing too hard too
fast is the biggest challenge for the team for now.
“We’re just trying to judge movement. He’s trying to run a 4.3 40,” Frazier said.
