Will the speedy return from a torn ACL by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson reshape how some in football view the injury?

It’s worth considering.

Peterson had reconstructive surgery on Dec. 30 and could top 1,000 yards for the season this weekend, according to Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Peterson has been getting more effective each week and has rushed for 625 yards and four touchdowns in the past five games, catching the attention of Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

“I don’t know that he’s getting stronger every week,” Schwartz said, according to the report. “I think he was playing at high level right from the opener. When you watched him, it was hard to believe he was, at the time, eight months off of an ACL (injury). I’ve never seen anybody come back that way. It usually takes about a year before (guys) are back to themselves. They can get out there and they’re not in danger of hurting themselves. But there’s definitely a time factor to it. And he appears to have defied all those time frames for all the other mortal people.

“He’s not just running the ball well. He’s making explosive runs. I think he’s got 14 of them over 20 yards. He’s scoring touchdowns for them. He looks the same as he’s ever looked. And if you just watched the game tape, you’d never guess he was coming off an ACL in the last game of the season last year.”

Peterson is producing against defensive fronts hellbent on stopping him. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder is in a deep slump and Minnesota’s passing game has been horrible. There is almost no vertical threat to the passing game and that has allowed defense to stack eight defenders in the box to stop Peterson and dare Ponder to throw the ball.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune