When Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson recorded 67 rushing yards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, he finished the season with a league-high total of 1,485 rushing yards.
Peterson’s accomplishment may be considered amazing, but he fell 65 yards short of earning an extra $1 million in bonus money next year. By failing to reach 1,550 yards on the ground, he set off a de-escalator clause that effects his roster bonus for next season.
Instead of a $5 million bonus, Peterson will now only receive $4 million in 2016. Poor guy, right? Peterson will have the chance to regain the extra $1 million back if he can hit the 1,550 rushing yard mark and the Vikings win a playoff game in 2016.
Adding insult to injury, Peterson’s 1,485 rushing yards were the lowest from a leading rusher in the NFL since LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,474 in 2007. Clearly, we are in the golden age of passing, which means it’s harder than ever to earn big money as a running back.
Considering 2015 was more of a productive season for wide receivers, Peterson fortunately works for a team that is not very efficient in the passing game. This means he probably stands a better chance than anyone to hit that 1,550 mark next season.
Peterson’s salary cap figure is $12 million next year, which is down from the $15.65 million he was paid in 2015. He will also get a roster bonus, provided he is still with Minnesota on the third day of the league’s new year.
Regarding Peterson’s competition for the 2015 season, the only running back close to reaching the running back in rushing yards was Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, who finished the year with 1,402 yards.
Peterson also finished 2015 falling short of his own personal goal which was to top 2,000 rushing yards. We’ll next see Peterson in action when he faces the Seattle Seahawks, who feature the top-ranked rush defense in the NFL, in this weekend’s wild-card round.