Former Palestine High School running back Adrian Peterson is without an NFL team. The Minnesota Vikings released the back on February 28th when the team did not exercise his 2017 option. However, as of this writing and two weeks after being let go, there has been little to no movement on where the former All-Pro back will play next season.
So, what is keeping the 31 other NFL teams from picking Peterson up?
When he was let go, the Vikings didn’t close the door completely on him not coming back saying, “Adrian is an important part of the Minnesota Vikings organization,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. “We will continue to have conversations with his representatives and leave our future options open while determining what is best for both parties moving forward.”
However, why would Peterson come back after seeing the team say to him essentially we like you and want you, but not at your cap hit of $18 million. Which, if you’re apart of the Vikings front office, you are right in letting him leave.
Since 2010, with the exception of the 2015 season, Peterson has suffered an injury that kept him off the field.
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While Peterson has put up Hall of Fame caliber stats during the regular season, his playoff numbers have left a lot to be desired. Over five post season games, Peterson has averaged only 3.6 yards per game and 82.4 total yards. He hasn’t scored a playoff touchdown since the 2009 post season run, and in his last game only rushed for 45 yards on 23 touches. So even if he can show a glimpse of his former self in the regular season, it looks as if by the time the playoffs come around he’s broken down and cannot give you the same production.
A study was done back in 2014 on when the cliff was for an NFL running back. The result was that at age 27 a player would be on the decline of their career.
Here was the excerpt on Peterson: Running backs get no such benefit of the doubt, nor should they from a strict business sense. Even Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson, one of the league’s best players at any position, contributed to the curve at age 28 last season. It’s true that he had the fifth-most rushing yards (1,266) in the NFL, but he also missed two games and overall fell 40 percent from his 2,097-yard effort in 2012. (ESPN)
When the 2017-18 season begins, Peterson will be 32 years old; or as the study would say, five years past his prime.
With the influx of young talented running backs currently in the league, and coming in during the draft, Peterson may have seen his days in the NFL vanish before his eyes. Time catches up with everyone. And, in this case, it looks like with teams passing on Peterson, time may have caught up with him and have ended his time in the NFL.
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