The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson could be headed for a split in the future and the team could look at the trade or release of the running back into 2015 and if that happens, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins could be interested in signing him and this comes as DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant are hitting free agency for Jerry Jones.
Peterson is in a bit of limbo, as he is suspended until at least April and when that comes he will be able to apply for reinstatement. Peterson appealed his suspension after reaching a plea deal in his legal case, but the NFL felt that his suspension was warranted. According to ESPN.com, both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have said that they would welcome Peterson back to the Vikings, but right now things are still up in the air.
Even if Peterson did return to the Vikings, there is a good chance that he will be in on a new contract, as Peterson is the highest paid RB in football for 2015. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, there is a chance the two sides could split due to the contract, which is a point Mike Freeman brought up last year, as Peterson is getting to the age of 30 and has a $15.4 million cap hit next season. The report says that Peterson is not likely to take a pay cut and that could lead to him moving on from the Vikings.
Peterson is no ordinary back and he comes in after rushing for 1266 yards in 2013 and over 2000 yards the season before that. The Cowboys could be an option if he is released, as they likely can only sign one of DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant and if jones signs Bryant, he could target Peterson.
Following the suspension after his legal case, Peterson said he considered retirement and changing sports, as he was "disillusioned" with the process. Peterson later backtracked on that and said that he wants to play in 2015, but he added later in an interview with USA Today that a "fresh start" for him and the Vikings could be the best move for both sides.
Peterson is one of the most productive backs in NFL history and this is not a case of Ray Rice, as Peterson was productive over the past two years, unlike Rice. The issues with Peterson and the Vikings are his age, position and salary, as the running back position has been devalued over the past couple years. Adding to the fact that he is 29 years old and nearing the age when running backs start to break down, it could be hard for the Vikings to justify keeping a salary that high for an RB.
Last year the team brought in Teddy Bridgewater and he had a solid rookie season with Norv Turner, but the team used a ton of shotgun, something that Peterson has not been used in much in his career. For a comparison, last season Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata rushed out of shotgun sets more times combined than Peterson had done in his ENTIRE career. While that doesn't mean Peterson will definitely be gone or that Asiata and McKinnon are better than Peterson, but it may just not be a good fit anymore.