Peterson was sent to work out in a swimming pool today for continued rehab on his injured right knee. Coach Brad Childress said he didn't expect Peterson to be ready for the next game against the New York Giants.

"It's hard to say right now. He hasn't been on hard land yet," Childress said.

Chester Taylor resumed his role as the featured back and rushed for 164 yards on Sunday in a victory over Oakland with Peterson watching from the sideline.

Peterson, who still leads the league by a wide margin with 1,081 yards rushing, was hurt in the third quarter of the Nov. 11 game against Green Bay on a tackle by Packers cornerback Al Harris that caused his lateral collateral ligament to tear. The LCL is the least critical of the four knee ligaments.

Peterson has spent "literally, six to eight hours a day" in the training room since then, Childress said. He'll have to practice before being cleared for action in a game, so it's likely he won't return until some time in December.