Now that the Vikings have signed a new bruising back in Latavius Murray and with GM Rick Spielman publicly acknowledging yesterday that Adrian Peterson won't be back in 2017, what's next for Peterson?
Peterson has not generated much interest in free agency. His only known visit came last weekend, when he met up with the Seahawks. They then signed Eddie Lacy a couple days later, eliminating that option.
Peterson was eyeing the Patriots, according to public comments made by his talkative father. But the Patriots instead signed Rex Burkhead, who has 375 career rushing yards — 11,372 fewer than Peterson.
The Raiders, who let Murray leave after he made the Pro Bowl in 2015 and rushed for 12 touchdowns in 2016, seemingly make sense. But they are reportedly trying to woo Marshawn Lynch, who retired last year and is still under contract with the Seahawks for two more seasons.
It's probably pretty humbling when a team sees a guy who hasn't played football in 14 months as a better option. But here we are.
There are still some teams out there that might want a good running back. The Buccaneers, the Giants and, yes, the hated Packers come to mind. But does Peterson, who has struggled running out of the shotgun and provides little value in the passing game, fit what they do?
As Peterson continues to wait for an NFL team to express serious interest in adding him to their backfield, one wonders if Peterson might have to sit tight until the summertime to find a situation that entices him.
Odds are another veteran back will get hurt during training camp or the preseason or early in the regular season and his team will come calling. Peterson, meanwhile, would get to skip the grind of OTAs and training camp, a monotonous routine he has grumbled about in the past.
Regardless of when he signs and where he signs, that team is going to get a motivated battering ram who will probably be in the Hall of Fame one day. And if at 32 his body can hold up for another season, look out.
