Despite his return to practice and his well-publicized goal of wanting to play in the Minnesota Vikings’ season opener, running back Adrian Peterson’s status for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars won’t be decided until the Vikings turn in their list of inactives 90 minutes before kickoff.
“Without question, that’s what we’ll do,” coach Leslie Frazier said. “We’re going to give him and give our team every chance possible before we make that decision.”
Although Frazier won’t say it publicly, the Vikings can afford to rest Peterson in this game and probably the following week at Indianapolis. The opponents are weaker and Peterson’s backup is Toby Gerhart.
—Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher says his left knee will never be the same, but it won’t stop him from playing Sunday in the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I’m playing Sunday. That’s a done deal,” Urlacher told WFLD-TV in Chicago.
Urlacher, 34, has endured multiple surgeries on the knee, forcing him to miss all of the team’s offseason program on the practice field and the majority of training camp.
His latest surgery came Aug. 14 when he underwent an arthroscopic procedure to clean up damage in the knee caused by a sprained medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligament that occurred in the final game of the 2011 regular season.
—Rookie running back Trent Richardson was on the practicee field Monday morning when the Cleveland Browns began their final week of preparation for the season opener.
There was no word on Richardson’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team’s first-round draft pick has not practiced since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 9.
The Browns are optimistic that Richardson will be available for the opener even though he didn’t play in any preseason games.
—The Minnesota Vikings filled out their practice squad Monday with six players who were with the team during training camp and two who were cut by other teams.
Running back Jordan Todman, cornerback Bobby Felder, defensive tackle Chase Baker, offensive linemen Kevin Murphy and Tyler Holmes and defensive lineman Ernest Owusu will remain with the Vikings on the practice squad.
Also signed to the practice squad were receivers Tori Gurley and Chris Summers. Gurley was with the Green Bay Packers last season and through training camp this summer before being waived. Summers, a rookie, was cut by the Chicago Bears over the weekend.
—The Detroit Lions cleared roster space for newly signed cornerback Drayton Florence by waiving safety Ricardo Silva on Monday.
Silva suffered stingers Thursday in the Lions’ final preseason game, according to The Detroit News, but the second-year pro had performed well to that point.
Florence, 32, was a former starter for the San Diego Chargers and the Buffalo Bills. He signed a contract Sunday with the Lions.
—Running back Maurice Jones-Drew practiced for the first time with the Jacksonville Jaguars since ending his 38-day contract holdout and is expected to play in the regular-season opener Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
Jones-Drew was wearing shoulder pads, helmet and shorts and taking handoffs during drills on Monday, NFL.com reported. The morning practice was closed to the media.
Rashad Jennings will start at running back against the Vikings, but Jones-Drew will “get some reps to get Rashad rest” as a third-down back, coach Mike Mularkey said.
—The Baltimore Ravens added safety James Ihedigbo to their 53-man roster Monday and waived defensive back Danny Gorrer.
Ihedigbo, a free-agent signee by the New York Jets in 2007, started 12 games for the New England Patriots last season. The fifth-year pro has 45 career tackles, including five sacks.
The Ravens also signed former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dennis Dixon, linebacker Adrian Hamilton and defensive back Anthony Levine to their practice squad.
—Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Austin Collie practiced Monday and apparently will play Sunday in the opener against the Chicago Bears.
In the preseason, Collie suffered his fourth concussion in the past 22 months on Aug. 19 in Pittsburgh, causing the Colts to proceed cautiously according to the NFL directives on head injuries. He sat out the Colts’ final two preseason games.
—The Arizona Cardinals signed veteran free-agent offensive tackle Pat McQuistan to a one-year deal Monday and placed reserve lineman Jeremy Bridges on season-ending injured reserve.
McQuistan was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Friday. The six-year veteran played 10 regular-season games for New Orleans last season.
—Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye lashed out at Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano after the free agent’s signing was announced Monday by the Chicago Bears.
Okoye took exception to Schiano saying Okoye, a six-year veteran, wasn’t progressing after arthroscopic knee surgery in June, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Okoye wasn’t able to practice or play much during preseason.
The Buccaneers released Okoye last week.
“It’s too bad to hear the unfortunate things he’s saying about my knee,” Okoye told the Sun-Times. “It’s kind of unfair of him to say what he said to the media, painting a bad picture like my knee was always bad.”
— The Oakland Raiders signed free-agent cornerback Joselio Hanson to a one-year contract Monday, and reportedly were set to release 2011 third-round pick DeMarcus Van Dyke.
Hansen, 31, was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in their roster cutdown to 53 players after six seasons with the team.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but TheSidelineView.com reported that Hanson’s base salary was $825,000 with the Eagles with the potential of earning another $300,000 in incentives.
— The 49ers placed linebacker Parys Haralson on injured reserve and signed 13th-year veteran Clark Haggans.
Haralson’s injury was not disclosed, but he did appear to have an issue with his left arm in the third preseason game.
Haggans was released by division-rival Arizona on Friday.
However, it’s uncertain whether he will be eligible to play in the 49ers’ season opener on Sunday in Green Bay. Haggans is facing a three-game suspension as a result of DUI conviction in June and is scheduled to have a hearing with the NFL on Wednesday, according to the Sacramento Bee.