The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson may be headed for a split in 2015 after his suspension and a trade or release could be an option for the team, as the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and 49ers could be interested in bringing in the running back and this comes as DeMarco Murray is set to be a free agent.
Peterson is suspended unto at least April of 2015 and that is when he can apply for reinstatement after losing his appeal. According to ESPN.com, Peterson considered retirement and possibly competing in the Olympics after the way the disciplinary process went, but now it appears that he is preparing to play in the NFL next year. Pro Football Talk reports that despite losing his appeal, Peterson will apply for reinstatement and expects to be in the league in 2015.
The biggest question for Peterson if he is reinstated is where he will end up playing next season, as he easily could be with the Vikings or with another team. Both directions are in play and it could be up to Peterson depending on how the Vikings want to handle things moving forward. Chris Mortenson at ESPN.com reported earlier in the season that the Vikings were "done" with Peterson and that they were prepared to move on. That was when he was on the exempt list and came before he reached a plea agreement in his child abuse case.
After making his appeal to the NFL to have his suspension overturned, reports came out that the Vikings would have been willing to take back Peterson this season. Peterson had his appeal denied and he ended up playing in just one game and rushing for 75 yards this season. Moving forward Peterson said in a USA Today interview that a fresh start could be the best option for both sides and if he is released, he would have a number of options.
Peterson has a big contract and that makes him hard to trade and heading into next season the Vikings have a choice to make at what to do with the running back. Peterson is not Ray Rice, meaning that he is not in decline and can still play at a high level. Peterson rushed for over 1200 yards last season and two years ago he won MVP and rushed for 2000 yards despite tearing his ACL the season before. The Vikings used both Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon this season in place of Peterson and they were satisfied with how they performed.
The team used shotgun sets more with Norv Turner coming in and Teddy Bridgewater starting and that is a very different style than has been used with Peterson in the past. The offensive system and the way that the Vikings are building could lead to a split and if that happens, there will be plenty of teams involved in trying to sign him. The Raiders were terrible rushing the ball and they have money to spend, while the Cowboys are an option after Jerry Jones showed interest in Peterson in the past. Murray likely will sign back on a new contract and if Peterson is released, the Cowboys could fit since he is from Texas and has also expressed interest in the organization.