The Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson could be headed for a split in 2015 after his suspension is up and if the running back is released or moved in a trade and teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots could be interested in acquiring him and this comes as DeMarco Murray is hitting the market in free agency.
The Vikings have to wait until Peterson is back from his suspension to make a decision on 2015, but right now it looks like Peterson will be playing elsewhere. According to ESPN.com, reporter Adam Schefter writes that Peterson likely will be with another team next season and if he is released, the Dallas Cowboys could look at signing him. Schefter adds that keeping DeMarco Murray will be difficult for the Cowboys and that could lead to the team looking at Peterson if he is on the market.
Peterson comes in after rushing for 1266 yards in 2013 and 2097 in 2012 and while he is getting to the age of 30, he is not like most running backs in this league. Peterson can still be a very productive player, but it will be hard to give an aging RB over $12 million and have him cost over $15 million on the salary cap. The Vikings have needs in numerous other areas and that could spark a move with Peterson if he doesn't take a pay cut. Peterson has rushed for at least 10 touchdowns in each of his seasons in the NFL and now he could be doing it for another franchise.
Head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman have publically said that they would welcome Peterson back, but it's not exactly that simple. Peterson has a high cap number for a player his age and this could set up a battle between Peterson and the Vikings over money. It's almost a guarantee that the team will ask Peterson to take a pay cut and if he refuses, the public support gives the Vikings front office a shield to hide behind if the fans don't like it.
The Vikings had a solid season without Peterson being a factor on the team and moving forward that could continue. Peterson played in only one game and finished the season with 75 yards, leaving Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon to take over in his absence. The Vikings have a quarterback they like in Teddy Bridgewater and after Norv Turner brought in his offense, it could lead to Peterson moving on. The Vikings used a ton of shotgun sets this season and according to ESPN.com, McKinnon and Asiata ran out of more sets with shotgun this season than Peterson had in his entire career combined.
While that doesn't mean Peterson will be gone, his high cap number means something has to happen with his contract. The team could try and trade Peterson, but it's more likely that he will get released if he is moved from the Vikings. The team has a tough decision to make, as Peterson is a face of the franchise type player and he is getting up to the age of 30 and that is when most running backs start to break down.