The Adrian Peterson situation with the Minnesota Vikings took another turn, as Peterson was reinstated by Judge David Doty in court after his appeal for his suspension and now the team may look at his trade or release soon and if that happens, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Patriots and 49ers could be potential landing spots.
Doty ruled that Peterson should not have had the new NFL policy applied to him when he pleaded no contest in his case before the new policy was instated. According to Pro Football Talk, he now is officially back and while the NFL can appeal, for now he is a member of the Vikings and can be traded or released. The team may also try and work on a new contract with him.
Peterson played in only one game this season and rushed for 75 yards before being placed on the exempt list due to his legal issues. According to ESPN.com, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has said that he would welcome Peterson back and general manager Rick Spielman agreed with his sentiments. ESPN.com reports that Peterson now can officially be reinstated on April 15 when he applies for it and it comes after his latest appeal was denied. Peterson sued to have his suspension overturned after being hit with the punishment by the NFL.
Peterson said that he had a "fair hearing" and now speculation will continue about his future in the league and his future with the Vikings. Earlier in the offseason after his first appeal was denied, Peterson spoke about possibly changing sports or retiring, but later backed off those comments. Peterson also said that the Vikings and him could use a "fresh start" and depending on what happens in the next couple months, he could be let go.
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, it's "not a lock" that Peterson is will the Vikings in 2015, as he has the highest cap hit among players at his position. Peterson will be 30 next month and that is the age when most players start to decline and he is coming in after missing an entire season. Peterson is not most running backs, he likely will suffer some drop off and if he doesn't restructure his deal or takes a pay cut, he could be let go by the Vikings.
Cutting Peterson would save the Vikings $13 million and they currently like what they have in Jerick McKinnon and could get much more with that money. Peterson is a face of the franchise player and fans may not be happy if, that happens, which could be why Zimmer and Spielman have been open about him returning. If he doesn't take a pay cut, it will look more like Peterson is being unreasonable rather than the team letting him go. Either way, Peterson's future is firmly up in the air as the offseason moves along.
Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential option for Peterson, as both have expressed admiration for each other in the past. The Cowboys may let DeMarco Murray go and sign Dez Bryant instead and Peterson could come in to help replace him.
