In February, Adrian Peterson had his suspension overturned by a US District Judge. On Friday, the NFL will reinstate Peterson as an active player and according to Ian Rapoport, Peterson will not face any further suspension by the league. The Vikings have chimed in with a short statement…
The Minnesota Vikings have been informed by the NFL that Adrian Peterson has been reinstated. We look forward to Adrian re-joining the Vikings.
Short and sweet. Instead here’s what they maybe should have said…
The Minnesota Vikings have been informed by the NFL that Adrian Peterson has been reinstated. We look forward to fielding any and all offers for his services.
Yes, Adrian Peterson is back but what is the likelihood that he will suit up for the Vikings in 2015? An NFL.com article from today clearly states Peterson wants to move on with his career while the Vikings are looking forward to having him back….
“Uneasy” about returning to Minnesota after last year’s turmoil, Peterson has made it clear, via agent Ben Dogra, that he wants a fresh start with a new team in 2015.
General manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer have repeatedly stated their intention to keep Peterson in purple and gold.
While I certainly can believe that from both sides, I think there has to be a split and both sides need to go their separate ways. The Vikings saying they want to keep him is probably just about leverage. If they look desperate to dump him then they will get less value back in return for Peterson.
Will the Vikings play hard ball and hold out for the best deal that they can for Peterson or will we see him in a new uniform as soon as the NFL Draft? Let’s hope for the latter but prepare for the former as I expect the Vikings might be kind of stingy on this if they don’t get the deal that they want.
Peterson has over 10,000 yards in his career and despite hitting that 30 year old plateau he has juice left in him. Will Dallas and Jerry Jones come calling or possibly a team like Indianapolis, San Diego or Arizona. And what is the value that Peterson holds? He’s an aging running back but he’s also been the most productive running back in the league and he’s coming back from a year without wear and tear on his body.
Peterson’s reinstatement by the NFL just in time for the NFL Draft isn’t a coincidence and it gives us a great storyline to talk about leading up to the draft.