After some deliberation, the Minnesota Vikings have decided to have Adrian Peterson undergo knee surgery on Thursday. Initially, the Vikings hoped to avoid an operation for the torn meniscus, but it was declared the most reasonable course of action.

With Peterson out for “several months,” the Vikings have bolstered their backfield by signing former Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman. The team officially announced the signing Wednesday morning.

2015 was Hillman's best season in Denver. He gained 863 yards on the ground on 207 carries, scoring seven touchdowns. However, he was cut just before the season.

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Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said that Jerick McKinnon will take over as the RB1 for Minnesota starting with Week 3.

Expect Hillman to take on a similar role to what he had with the Broncos last year, as C.J. Anderson took the bulk of the carries while Hillman was often on the field for third down and passing situations.