Minnesota Vikings: Solution to end Adrian Peterson drama

The sticky situation between the Minnesota Vikings and their star running back Adrian Peterson appears to have no end in sight. While the Vikings have publicly said everything to indicate that they want Peterson back after his 15-game absence last season, Peterson remains weary of the franchise.

Under the NFL’s new domestic violence policy, first time offenders such as Peterson are subjected to a six game league suspension. Meanwhile, Peterson received a 15-game ban after his well publicized child abuse case came to light. However, it must be pointed out that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has noted that suspensions for domestic violence cases can be longer than six games if there are “possible mitigating or aggravating circumstances” according to a CNN report by Josh Levs.

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Being that Peterson received a ban that was more than double the NFL’s legislated amount of games, mistrust has lingered within Peterson’s camp. According to a Facebook post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter , Peterson believes there was a concerted effort on the part of the Vikings to keep him off the field for an extended period of time last season. In particular, Peterson feels as though Vikings’ general counsel Kevin Warren was behind Peterson’s extended leave of absence in 2014.

Back in February, Warren was promoted within the Vikings’ organization to Chief Operating Officer. That tells me that the Vikings’ organization as a whole is in Warren’s corner on this delicate matter. With Warren receiving a large vote of confidence within the team structure, where does this leave Adrian Peterson and what are his options moving forward?

Sep 8, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Although Peterson may feel betrayed by the Minnesota Vikings, the fact of the matter is that Adrian Peterson has virtually no leverage in this situation. Since Peterson is still under contract with Minnesota, it would be completely unfathomable to think that the Vikings would choose to grant a player of Peterson’s caliber an outright release.

In the case of Ray Rice and his domestic abuse situation in Baltimore, Rice was coming off an atrocious season in which he rushed for only 660 yards and a career low 3.1 yards per carry. In other words, Baltimore may have been wanting to cut ties with Rice anyway, his domestic abuse scandal made their decision even that much easier.

As it pertains to a possible trade, Peterson’s hefty contract may prove to be another formidable obstacle. According to a CBSSports.com report from Joel Corry, Peterson has three years and $46 million remaining on his contract with the Minnesota Vikings. Having just turned 30 years old, that magical age where NFL running backs seem to deteriorate overnight, it seems very likely that a new team would want to restructure Peterson’s deal if they were to trade for him. Is Peterson that hell bent on sticking it to the Vikings that he would want to sacrifice millions of dollars in order to prove his point?

Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (middle) walks to his car after his arraignment at the Montgomery county courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As far as the Minnesota Vikings are concerned, I feel that the rumors linking Dallas as a possible trade partner in a Peterson deal are much to do about nothing. Although there has been plenty of trades this NFL off-season, the days of Ricky Williams and Herschel Walker sized trades appear to be over.

Therefore, I don’t think it would be in the best interest of the Vikings to ship off their most talented offensive weapon in exchange for a few moderately high draft picks. Not only would it be nearly impossible for Minnesota to gain equal value in a Peterson deal, but I’m absolutely certain that a Peterson trade would be very poorly received among the Vikings’ fan base.

Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Peterson’s only other options would be to hold out during training camp and try to force Minnesota’s hand, or to flat out retire. With these drastic options, the question again becomes how much money is Peterson willing to lose in order to stand on his principles?

NFL contracts are rarely worth the paper they are printed on as under performing players are regularly tossed aside. Even veterans like Tony Romo and Peyton Manning are often asked to restructure their contracts in order to help the team. That being said, I believe a novel idea could help mend the fences between Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings.

In a show of good faith, Vikings’ owners Zygi and Mark Wilf should guarantee to honor the remaining three years of Peterson’s contract regardless of the halfback’s age or production level. Sure, it’s a massive gamble for the Vikings, but I don’t see how else Peterson’s faith in his club can be restored.

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