Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said Wednesday that he expects running back Adrian Peterson to be back with the team next season. Peterson missed all but one game last season after he was accused of injuring his 4-year old son with a switch.
“Adrian’s been a key part of our organization,” Spielman told reporters at the NFL scouting combine, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s made a mistake. He’s doing everything and he’s got to follow through, rectify and do the things that the NFL’s requiring him to do.”
Spielman’s comments echo those made last week by Vikings President Mark Wilf, who said “we’d love to have him back.”
Barring a successful legal challenge by the NFL Players Association, Peterson is suspended until at least April 15 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. In November, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault after originally facing felony charges for allegedly injuring his young son with a switch in Texas.
As Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN wrote earlier this month, it would be in the best interest of both Peterson and the Vikings if the running back is reinstated before April 15, “preferably before free agency opens on March 10, to get the most out of the market if he’s not staying.” The NFLPA is seeking Peterson’s immediate reinstatement in federal court.
Peterson turns 30 on March 21, an age when most running backs begin to decline. After he is reinstated, the Vikings could cut him, saving $15.4 million against the salary cap in 2015, or they could ask him to restructure his contract to reduce the cap hit.
Under the terms of Peterson’s suspension, most Vikings officials are barred from contacting him.
After spending the first 17 years of his Post career writing and editing, Matt and the printed paper had an amicable divorce in 2014. He's now blogging and editing for the Early Lead and the Post's other Web-based products.
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