The Minnesota Vikings played all season long without suspended running back Adrian Peterson. Not eligible to return until a month after the free agency period begins, Peterson’s future as a Viking is up in the air.
However, as far as coach Mike Zimmer is concerned, he’d welcome back Peterson in a beat of a heart (via NFL.com).
Adrian was always great with me. I think he’s a good person. I think obviously he’s a great running back, and if it works out that way and things work out and he gets his life in order — that’s the most important thing, he gets his life in order, he gets the opportunity to come back — then I will be in his corner whatever the decision is made.
The Vikings are in a bit of a quandary when it comes to Peterson. If the future Hall of Famer returns, he is on course to earn a $15.4 million against the team’s salary cap. Earlier this month, Peterson seemed reluctant to consider a pay cut due to fact that he’s “now entering the prime of his career.”
The salary-cap issue along with the fact that Peterson is unable to return until a month after the beginning of free agency presents the Vikings with a dilemma in the upcoming months.
Zimmer continued…
We would love to know ASAP, just so we can start going because, a guy like him, your football team and your offense can be different (if) you have him and you don’t have him. It’s how you want to build the team around him, at least in my opinion, anyway.
It would be a strategic mistake to play the waiting game with Peterson. Minnesota had a relatively strong 2014 campaign and could use that money to upgrade at other positions of utmost need.