Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is expected to return soon after his plea deal in Texas and he is a top fantasy football pickup for owners of Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon and Teddy Bridgewater, as he could be back in the starting lineup sometime after Week 10 and while return date is up in the air, it's likely he starts again for the Vikes this season.
Peterson was placed on the exempt list following his legal issues regarding a child abuse case in Texas and now that he has reached a plea deal, Peterson is expecting to get back onto the field. According to ESPN.com, there are some steps that need to happen for Peterson to get back onto the field, as the NFL will likely consider a suspension and they also will be reviewing documents and other information in the case. The plea deal doesn't mean Peterson is necessarily innocent, it just means he will avoid jail time and with all that's going on in the NFL, the league may act with patience in this case.
ESPN.com reports that Peterson wants a fast resolution and the players union has been supporting him and all this comes as the Ray Rice appeal is underway. Peterson was previously indicted on a felony charge of injury to a child for beating his son with a tree branch and now that he has reached a plea deal all he has to do it pay a fine and do some community service. Peterson is considered to be one of the best players in the NFL and this whole situation has put his future with the Vikings up in the air.
There has been plenty of speculation about Peterson's future with the organization beyond this year, but for this season there are many questions. There are still seven weeks left this season and the league could look at suspending Peterson based on the person conduct policy. That could keep Peterson out for the year and he likely will fight that decision if it's the one that is made. Peterson has been replaced in the offense by Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata and the two have played well with him gone.
The Vikings offense has been looking good in recent weeks with Teddy Bridgewater and while Peterson is a great back and a great player, moving forward he may have to take a backseat or at least a different role. According to ESPN.com, Peterson has only had 86 carries out of the shotgun with the Vikings in his entire career and this season the team has already used McKinnon and Asiata in 67 of their 142 carries out of that formation. That is a massive change and while it doesn't mean Peterson will be relegated to backup status, it means that he will have to get with the program in Norv Turner's new offense.
That is part of the reasoning of many who think that Peterson will be gone after this season, but for now the main concern is when he gets on the field again. Peterson has just 75 yards in one game this season, while Asiata is coming in after scoring three touchdowns last week. McKinnon has a couple 100-yard games and both have been effective in place of Peterson. It will be interesting to see when or if Peterson gets back on the field in 2014.