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The prolonged saga surrounding Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson effectively came to an end when he reported to voluntary workouts a few weeks ago. After playing only one game last season, all indications are he is ready to be a prominent part of Norv Turner’s offense this year.
Peterson is now 30 years old, the age at which running backs generally start to decline, but an argument can be made he will be refreshed physically after nearly a full season off. Add in the likelihood that Peterson will have extra motivation to prove he is still the league’s best running back, and the Vikings’ offense should have the workhorse back it did not have in 2014.
This would seem like a year for Peterson to see some action in preseason games, but Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer has already said he doesn’t expect that to happen. Keeping Peterson healthy going into the regular season should be a main priority, so exposing him to contact and possible injury in meaningless games is not worth it, but I still think he may see a carry or two at some point during the preseason.
Peterson will clearly be the Vikings’ No. 1 running back heading into Week 1, barring an unexpected trade during training camp, with Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata entering camp as his primary backups. Running backs coach Kirby Wilson has suggested the team will monitor Peterson’s snap count each week during the regular season, but training camp practices may give an indication of how Turner intends to use Peterson as a pass receiver once the games count.
When training camp gets going, Peterson will be among the most watched players in the entire league with plenty of local and national media in place. Vikings’ fans are also sure to descend on southern Minnesota in large numbers this year, if only to get a brief glimpse at Peterson and theoretically welcome him back.
The beginning of 2015 training camp can be an official fresh start for Peterson, and the tumult of the last nine months or so can be put in the rearview mirror soon. If the Vikings are to fully realize their promise this season, Peterson’s health and productivity will be among the biggest reasons why.
Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
