Percy Harvin to have surgery

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin announced Monday night that he will require surgery on his shoulder, but the former first-round pick doesn't expect to miss significant time.

"Just found out I will need surgery on shoulder," Harvin tweeted. "Recovery should be quick I will be ready for (organized team activities)."

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier confirmed it on Tuesday while attending a speaking event for his friend and former NFL coach, Tony Dungy. Frazier declined to specify which shoulder Harvin hurt, but he said he 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. Frazier said the procedure "should not create any problems for anything we're doing this offseason."

Harvin 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.

The 5-foot-11, 184-pound Harvin caught a career-high 87 passes last season for 967 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 35 carries for 345 yards and three touchdowns and returned 16 kicks for 520 yards and one touchdown.

Harvin's injury means the Vikings' top two offensive weapons will enter the 2012 season coming off surgery. Running back Adrian Peterson tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in Minnesota's Week 16 win over Washington.

Frazier also delivered an optimistic update on Peterson, who 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.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe