The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson on the exempt list and a trade or release could be an option in the future and the Dallas Cowboys or Oakland Raiders could be some interested teams, while the Vikings have a new quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater and he could end up as the permanent starter for the team now that Matt Cassel is injured if he plays well enough as a rookie.
Peterson remains on the exempt list as his legal case plays out in the courts in Texas and he likely will not be back on the field until that happens. According to ESPN.com, the Vikings do not see Peterson in their future plans and while they are paying him now, a release or trade is likely. The Dallas Cowboys have long been mentioned in connection with Peterson since he is from Texas and that came up even more once the story came out about him and Jerry Jones speaking on the phone about his future.
All of that was before the child abuse case so that could be a major factor in what happens next, but there is always a chance he ends up in Dallas at some point. Peterson is considered one of the best backs of all-time and now one of his goals of setting the rushing record is likely off the table and he could end up released or traded by the end of next season. The Cowboys have DeMarco Murray, but Jerry jones loves his stars and so far he has received a warm reception from people in Texas, with one columnist calling on Jones to bring him in ASAP.
According to NFL.com, Teddy Bridgewater likely will remain the starting QB for the rest of the season and this comes after Matt Cassel broke bones in his foot. Many wondered when Bridgewater would get his chance and now he has it and with Cassel on the mend for a while, he will get the chance to start and get acclimated to the offense in NFL games. Bridgewater came in and passed for 150 yards in the game and he also was strong rushing the ball with 27 yards on the ground.
Adam Schefter and other reports have Matt Cassel being placed in IR and that means Bridgewater will be the starter for the rest of the season barring an injury. Christian Ponder is his backup and he knows the offense and can come in if needed, but now it's Bridgewater's chance to start. Bridgewater officially will start against the Falcons and now he could be on his way to starting the rest of the season if he plays well.
Bridgewater did not make any major mistakes against the New Orleans Saints and now he gets the chance to start the game and he could be the top rookie player this weekend. Bridgewater came out of college with a chance to be a top 10 pick and while he dropped to 32, he still is a very talented player and with Adrian Peterson out, there will be more pressure on him to play well. Bridgewater looked good in training camp and now is his chance to step up.
