The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson back with the team in OTA workouts and he is set to start ahead of Jerick McKinnon on the depth chart after missing most of last season and now Mike Zimmer is ready to get the offense going with Peterson and Cordarrelle Patterson along with Mike Wallace for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Peterson returned after numerous reports about his contract situation and he has received high praise since he started to practice with the team. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Peterson has shown no "rust" since coming back and offensive coordinator Norv turner said the offense will be much better with Peterson and that he "makes a total difference" to things for Bridgewater.
Last season McKinnon and Matt Asiata came in with Peterson out and got the majority of carries for the team and now Peterson makes for a strong depth chart of running backs. Bridgewater is coming in after a strong rookie season and having Peterson may only make things easier for him moving forward. The team used a lot of shotgun last season and Peterson will have to adjust a bit, but he should have no problems getting back into the swing of things.
Earlier in the offseason, source reported that Peterson was unsure about returning to the Vikings, as he was not pleased with the way he was placed on the exempt list last year. Peterson played in one game against the Rams and rushed for 75 yards before being moved to the list. He later had his suspension overturned on appeal and he came back to the Vikings for 2015 on his current contract and could look at a restructured deal in the future.
The Minnesota Vikings have Peterson back for the 2015 season over a trade to the Dallas Cowboys, but there is a chance he could holdout in training camp if his agent pushes the team for a new extension. That is looking unlikely now, but it could happen, as previously Peterson wanted a deal with more guaranteed money and this comes as Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata are the main backups for Peterson on the roster.
The Vikings had been consistent about wanting to bring Peterson back this offseason and while he was mentioned in trade rumors, no deal came close to happening. Peterson spent the majority of last season on the exempt list while dealing with his legal issues off the field and that was the main crux of his unhappiness this offseason. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, head coach Mike Zimmer is thrilled to have Peterson back.
Peterson is one of the most productive backs in NFL history and he comes in after scoring 22 touchdowns in his last two full seasons. Peterson has over 3000 yards in that time and while he is a year older, he has a year less of wear and tear on his body. The Vikings had Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata stand in for Peterson last season and that experience gives the Vikings a strong depth chart now that Peterson has returned.
