The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

What does the future hold for Adrian Peterson?

Adrian Peterson will lead the Vikings in 2016. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
Expert
26th September, 2014
14

Whether you are a Jaguars fan or a member of the 12th man, the start of the NFL regular season is supposed to be a time of cautious optimism. September can take many forms for football-starved fans.

It can be a clean slate, a shot at redemption, a chance to take that next step or go back-to-back.

Unfortunately, for some teams and their fans the first few weeks of the season can be brutal.

Even the most devoted Raiders, Jags or Buccaneers fan wouldn’t have been able to look you in the eye and honestly predict a Super Bowl birth come February, but they would have at least been hoping for better than an 0-3 start.

Poor management and bad play aside, there is not much that stings a fan worse than when their team’s potential is thwarted by something completely out of their control.

Minnesota Vikings fans would have been quietly confident ahead of this season. Despite many NFL analysts tipping them to finish fourth in the ever tight NFC North, Vikings fans knew their franchise had been quietly building to something. The team had drafted well for a second straight year after stock-piling first round picks.

UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater were both outstanding college prospects with huge upsides. Flashy wide-receiver Cordarelle Patterson had proved in 2013 to be the offensive weapon that could fill Percy Harvin’s shoes.

A few veteran members of the defensive line had moved on, but the Vikings had picked up cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and defensive tackle Linval Joseph in free agency to strengthen the resolve on the other side of the ball.

Advertisement

And, of course, there was Adrian Peterson. The Vikings’ best player since he entered the league in 2007. The man named the 2012 NFL MVP after he rushed for 2097 yards following off-season MCL and ACL surgery.

Peterson is an elite back, a perennial pro-bowler. He is the Vikings’ offense, the player defences spend most time preparing for. If he plays well, breaks tackles, beats defenders, moves the chains and scores touchdowns, then the Vikings are a chance in every game.

Peterson played in Week 1 – a 34-6 win over the Rams in St Louis – and was steady, but far from his outstanding best. Patterson stole much of the limelight with a jinking 67-yard touchdown run.

Then, the Vikings were preparing to face the Patriots at home, Peterson was indicted on charges of child abuse and deactivated by the team. Following the 30-7 loss against New England, the Vikings reinstated Peterson, stating their belief that he was just “disciplining a child”.

He was expected to play Week 3 against New Orleans, but subsequent public pressure prompted the Vikings to place Peterson on the exempt/commissioner’s permission list, removing him from team activities until his legal situation was sorted out.

And there Peterson remains, his NFL career hanging in the balance.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s season is on life-support. A dour performance in a loss against the Saints has left them at 1-2 and without starting quarterback Matt Cassel and tight-end Kyle Rudolph for a large chunk of the season. The team has been handed over to rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who will attempt to lead a stagnant offense.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Vikings fans want answers. What does the future hold for their team? What part, if any, will Peterson play?

The Oklahoma Sooners product is said to be pushing for an accelerated trial, in the hope it would increase his chances of returning to action as soon as possible, and do so with the Vikings.

The quandary for the Vikings is whether or not they should cut Peterson, trade him or bide their time and hope he comes through the trial unscathed and able to play.

Peterson is the highest paid running back in the NFL and is due $11.75 million this season regardless of whether he plays again or not. According to reports, he is three years into a $96 million contract extension with the Vikings and the team has already paid out $36 million in guaranteed money.

But the remainder of his deal – all $56 million of it owed between now and 2017 – is not guaranteed, meaning the Vikings can cut him at the end of the season without paying him another dime. Other factors in favour of letting him go include his age – Peterson could be 30 before he plays another down – the gross undervalue of the running back in the NFL and the fact he faces either jail time or a lengthy league imposed suspension.

The most likely option is the team will keep him on the exempt list, wait for the legal situation to play out and then trade him and his exorbitant contract at season’s end, freeing up the cap space to beef up the offensive line or add to the secondary.

The Vikings – like all franchises – are concerned firstly with the bottom line. They could use the legal situation and their perceived moral obligations to cut Peterson and his hefty contract. It’s not to say Peterson is easily replaceable, but it is tough to justify giving that much money to a guy in the twilight of his career.

Advertisement

Either way, frustrated Vikings fans who wish to see this situation resolved quickly are unlikely to get their wish. Their cautious optimism has all but disappeared, replaced by despair.

close