Adrian Peterson does not hold the power to his future. The running back is under contract with the Minnesota Vikings and the franchise will determine if he stays or if he goes. A lot has been made regarding the future of Peterson as he continues to meet with the Vikings regarding a potential trade or contract adjustment. As every other team sweeps up running backs off the market, would the Arizona Cardinals be the last team willing to take Peterson?
According a report published by Arizona Sports, Peterson's first choice of teams in a trade would be the Cardinals. Arizona does need a running back at the moment. Andre Ellington is their best option at the moment for a starter and Peterson is naturally an upgrade. His contract is certainly not. The Cardinals might like the idea of adding Peterson, but they are probably not fond of taking on his big salary. Peterson is still the best running back in the NFL at the moment which could be huge for Arizona's offense, but they would have to work out contract issues.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, Peterson is not happy in Minnesota, but has yet to request a trade from the team. After the Dallas Cowboys lost DeMarco Murray, it seemed like a guarantee they would trade for Peterson. However, the team instead signed Darren McFadden and moved on. The Oakland Raiders could still be in the picture. They can afford Peterson's contract, but likely do not want to give up too much to get it. They signed Roy Helu, but he and Latavius Murray still leave a lot to be desired in the run game. Peterson would be that home run playmaker the Raiders have been missing.
The Vikings re-signed Matt Asiata as likely insurance on the chance they lose Peterson. Technically, the Vikings could keep Peterson around regardless of any trade request. The running back could stage a hold out, but he is under contract and would need to play. The trade market for him is slim. No one wants to pay a 29-year-old back that kind of money regardless of his strengths. If the Cardinals do not bite on a move, Peterson could easily be staying put in Minnesota.