Minnesota Vikings need to stick with Adrian Peterson

I’ve always been a firm believer in that time heals all. It’s something that makes mistakes, issues or just boneheaded decisions much more easier to process once enough time has passed. The Minnesota Vikings have done their best in handling this entire situation with Adrian Peterson and his reinstatement into the NFL but it’s just a matter of waiting it out to see what happens. Peterson is eligible to be reinstated into the NFL on April 15.

It won’t be easy as there is no guarantee he will even be available to play next season depending on how his reinstatement hearings go but if he does come back, he has the potential for a nice comeback season. Make no mistake about it, what he did was wrong when it came to the unfortunate actions of child abuse against his four year old son but he has followed all the steps towards redemption. It’s not easy bouncing back from this but he’s doing his best to take the right course of actions and own up to his mistakes.

More from Minnesota Vikings

We live in a society that allows everyone to at least get a second chance, especially in sports. Not everyone is perfect and people make very dumb mistakes that come with plenty of consequences.

Peterson’s image has taken a huge hit ever since these child abuse reports have surfaced but it’s good to see that despite it all, fans still want him back as the Vikings organization has also chimed in to give him some much-needed support.

General manager Rick Spielman has been vocal in his support of Peterson in that he wants him back come training camps. The Vikings absolutely need him to return since he adds such an incredibly dynamic to their offense that with his return, they are easily able to contend for the NFL Playoffs. Peterson before this incident was always a stand-up kind of guy and left it all on the field. He’s done a ton of things for charities throughout the years to give back to communities that needed it.

While the Vikings know his reinstatement will bring a ton of negative press towards the franchise, it’s a risk they are willing to take due to how important he is to the team. Imagine how great their offense will look with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, wide receiver Greg Jennings and Peterson all ready to make some noise? Not only would Peterson provided a nice boost back into their offense, it’ll also help them easily win some more football games next season.

Peterson puts the Vikings in a much better position to succeed in the NFC North and inch closer to getting back into the NFL Playoffs. In his eight seasons in the league, he’s amassed 10,190 yards with 92 touchdowns and a career average of 5.0 yards per rushing attempt. He’s one of the best running backs that is a major game-changer as his presence on the field adds a major advantage on the Vikings and their offensive scheming. Considering the Vikings ranked 14th in the NFL last season with 112.8 rushing yards per game, Peterson’s return would absolutely add more pop to the team offensively.

Of course the Vikings also need to think about what to do with his current contract. Peterson is due $12.75 million this upcoming season with a salary cap hit of $15.4 million. Given the situation that Peterson has been dealing with since September, there isn’t any reason to believe that Peterson wouldn’t be open to restructuring his deal for the benefit of the team. This would allow the Vikings to be key players in free agency and bolster their defense to become more competitive in the future.

Even though Peterson has been out of football for quite some time now, he’s always been a fierce competitor and if anything, this entire situation will motivate him to possibly have one of the greatest seasons of his career. He’s done it before when coming back from a torn ACL injury back in 2012 and there is no question in my mind that he could do it again if he’s given just one more chance to play the game he loves. The Vikings need him back since he’s without question, one of their best players on the team.

Aug 28, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) warms up prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Forgiveness is a virtue that many people should embrace, especially in cases like bringing back a player of Peterson’s caliber due to a serious mistake he made. I’m confident he learned from everything and will never do what he did to his son ever again.

Sometimes it takes a mistake of that severity to make people see the error in their ways and have them work towards being a better person from the experiences it gave them.

Overall, while it may seem like the Vikings might get a ton of flack for welcoming Peterson back if he does get reinstated, they could simply say they’re fully supportive of one of their teammates during incredibly tough times and want to bring him back home. Winning football games with Peterson back in the mix will help everyone get past this and enjoy what he brings to the table once again.

A team is a family amongst players that no matter what happens on or off the field, they have your back. Peterson needs help during all of this and if anyone can be there for him as he gets his life back together, it’s his team and the ability to play competitive football again.

Next: Could Adrian Peterson be the Dallas Cowboys' RB in 2015?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Minnesota Vikings