The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson could be headed for a split at some point in the future once Peterson returns from suspension, as he is getting paid a high salary and despite Mike Zimmer wanting him to return, the team looks at his trade or release, the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers or New England Patriots could be interested in picking him up.
Peterson is currently suspended and the earliest that he can be reinstated is in April and he will have to apply for that following the denial of his appeal. According to ESPN.com, both head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have said that Peterson is welcome back to the team when he returns. While both men have been optimistic about Peterson returning and have defended the running back, it may not be that simple, as Peterson is going to count for over $15 million on the salary cap.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that a Peterson return is no sure thing and that his time with the Vikings "may be over" if the two sides can't agree on a new contract. Peterson likely will have to take a pay cut to stay with the Vikings and the report says that he is not willing to take a pay cut at this time. There is still a while before Peterson can get back into the league and a lot can change before that happens, but right now a split looks likely. Peterson played in one game this season and rushed for 75 yards and while he has been productive the previous two seasons, Peterson is 29 years old and has been worked as hard as anyone during his career.
Peterson is not like most running backs, but most running backs start to break down around the age of 30 and that could lead the Vikings to move on from Peterson. The team has solid backups in Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata and while those two players are not near the talent level of Peterson, the Vikings may feel that money is more valuable elsewhere. Teddy Bridgewater was solid as a rookie and he plays in numerous shotgun sets and that is not something Peterson is used to working with.
After his appeal was denied, Peterson spoke in an interview about the process and said he considered retiring or changing sports. It appears now that Peterson is going to come back in 2015, but he said to USA Today that his future with the Vikings is not certain, adding that a "fresh start" could be best for both sides. Peterson can apply for reinstatement on April 15 and after that the Vikings will have some tough decisions to make.
Peterson rushed for 1266 yards in 2013 after his 2000 yard MVP season the previous year and now he could be on his way out of Minnesota. Peterson has scored at least 10 TDs every season in his career and he has been as consistent as any player this generation. If he moves on, teams like the Cowboys, Dolphins and Raiders could be options. The Cowboys may lose DeMarco Murray, while Knowshon Moreno and Darren McFadden are hitting the market for those teams.