Minnesota Vikings 2015: Does Adrian Peterson need to return?
What would you do if you owned the Minnesota Vikings and had to decide if having Adrian Peterson back on your team was a good idea or not?
Not only is that the question of the hour, but it may be the question of the year.
You could say that in the past 10-15 years, the NFL has not seen such an interesting case like that of Peterson. If all goes right for the talented running back, it looks like he will be reinstated in the NFL on April 15. No official word is out, but as previously stated it looks like that is where the case is in fact heading.
Now Peterson has gone on record to say he does want to return to Minnesota and play for the Vikings next season, barring everything goes according to plan. The fact that he is willing to return to the Vikings is a positive sign that he holds no hard feelings against the organization and still wants to continue his success with the team. He would finally get to work with Teddy Bridgewater.
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The biggest factor in all of this is simple.
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Does the Wilf family, the owners of the team, want the kind of press that will come with the team keeping Peterson? No one really knows what kind of financial ramifications might come from that decision. Sponsors are very fickle with their money and if some of the teams bigger sponsors threaten to pull their funding from the team, it would not surprise me if the organization decides against Peterson.
On the other side of the matter, what could the fallout be if the Vikings decide not to retain Peterson? How much of the current fan base would the team lose if they announced that Peterson’s time with the club is over? Probably a fair amount. Fans help the team make money and if they are not happy, you know the team will suffer terribly because of it. Peterson is the face of the Vikings. Not bringing him back will be a bad move from a financial standpoint.
Some of you Peterson fans might also know that the Dallas Cowboys are seriously thinking about moving in for the Vikings running back. And if Minnesota does opt to cut him loose, you can expect Jerry Jones to come with his check book and hand out a huge pay-day for Peterson.
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Now what of DeMarco Murray? Well, that is a whole different story, but the simple thought is this. Murray is a free agent this year and might look to get out of Dallas. If that does happen, the Cowboys’ backfield has no one to take the lead on running the ball. Peterson would fit in perfectly and would get the opportunity to play in the state he grew up in for the team he grew up following.
Minnesota needs to make the right choice and move past Peterson. It will be painful for a short time, but when it comes to continuing to grow a young and talented team having the distraction that is Peterson will not help the team move forward.
Peterson gave the Vikings basically seven great years as their star running back. During that time, he ran for 10,190 yards, 86 touchdowns and even won the league MVP award in 2012. His legacy for the team will never be forgotten and the organization would not be where it is today without him.
At the end of the day, the Minnesota Vikings without Adrian Peterson is the right choice for both parties. Each side has been through so much and needs a fresh start to start the full healing process.