Adrian Peterson Deserves to be MVP of the NFL

Dec 30, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) smiles following the game against the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Packers 37-34. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Adrian Peterson deserves to be the MVP of the NFL this year. Not only should he be MVP, but he also deserves the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Adrian Peterson changed the game with the type of stats he put up this past year with the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off a torn ACL and MCL, Peterson was able to lead the Vikings to the playoffs, one year after a lowly 3-13 season. Leading his team to the playoffs isn’t even the most impressive thing about the year, Peterson’s pursuit of Eric Dickerson’s rushing yards record was an MVP effort all in itself.

A pursuit that he fell just 8 yards short of, gaining 2,097 yards on 348 attempts along with an impressive 12 touchdowns via ESPN.com. To put the year that AD had in perpective, he alone gained more rushing yards in 5 games this year than the Vikings’ quarterback Christian Ponder had in passing yards. Peterson took a team that went 3-13 to the playoffs coming off a devastating injury that sometimes sidelines players for over a year. Adrian Peterson is the MVP of the NFL.

AD has set the bar when it comes to recovering from the gruesome injury that is a torn anterior cruciate ligament or ACL for short. Every athlete that has suffered the injury since Adrian’s remarkable comeback has visions and expectations of coming back and being better than before.

The amount of time it took Peterson to come back from the rehabilitation is absolutely freakish. He was running sprints up a hill with teammate and wide receiver Percy Harvin and beating him after just 4 months of rehab. Adrian Peterson deserves the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award simply because of the expectation and hope that he has given thousands of athletes around the world who suffer torn ACLs every year.

Peyton Manning took an entire year off to recover from his injuries. Adrian Peterson took half that amount of time and had a near record breaking year. Adrian Peterson had a freak year that deserves both the MVP and NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.