Adrian Peterson

NFC Notes: Packers, Redskins, Vikings, Giants

November 29th, 2016 at 9:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When asked by reporters today whether Clay Matthews Jr.’s shoulder injury is more concerning that Aaron Rodgers‘ hamstring ailment, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy responded with a simple answer: “Yes.” According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, McCarthy said the club will wait for further results on Matthews’ issue before speculating as to his status for Sunday’s game against the Texans, but Green Bay can ill afford to lose any more linebackers. Starters Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez, plus reserve Kyler Fackrell, were all inactive last night, meaning the Packers are heavily leaning on Matthews’ ability play inside and outside ‘backer.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Kirk Cousins could be playing himself into the $24MM per year range as he continues to rack up yards and touchdowns for the Redskins, said former agent Joel Corry on 106.7 The Fan today (Twitter link via Grant Paulsen). Cousins, who topped the inaugural edition of PFR’s 2017 Free Agent Power Rankings, is reportedly asking for $23.94MM — the amount he’d get under the ’17 franchise tag — annually. Conflicting reports have emerged as to whether Washington would be willing to franchise Cousins again next season.
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was spotted doing some light running today, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link). It was reported last week that Peterson was likely to run around this time. This could be a good sign for Peterson, who is pushing to return from IR in December.
2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries played well in his first attempt at left tackle on Sunday, and his solid showing gives the Cardinals options going forward, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Not only could Humphries continue to play on the blindside in 2016, with Jared Veldheer moving to right tackle, but he could allow Arizona to move on from Veldheer in years to come if the club needs to create cap space.
The Giants need to extend defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul before he hits free agency, argues Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Now more than a year removed from a fireworks accident, JPP has returned to his old form and could look to score on the open market next spring. New York, of course, has already invested heavily in its front four by handing large contracts to Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison, and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is also headed for free agency.
The Eagles announced that right guard Brandon Brooks has been released from the hospital. Brooks was placed in the hospital before last night’s game against the Packers and ended up missing the contest with a mystery ailment. As such, his availability for Week 13 against Cincinnati is unclear.

Latest On Adrian Peterson’s Potential Return

November 27th, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Ben Levine

There’s more optimism regarding Adrian Peterson‘s return to the field. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer tweets that the Vikings running back has recently been running in the pool. If the veteran’s knee responds positively, the team will look to run him on hard surfaces this week.

Despite tearing his meniscus earlier this season, recent reports indicated that the 31-year-old was on track to return in December. Peterson suffered the injury during the Vikings Week 2 contest against the Packers. Up to that point in the season, the running back had rushed for only 50 yards on 31 carries. Of course, that’s not to say that the veteran still can’t be productive. Peterson is only one season removed from a 1,485-yard, 11-touchdown campaign.

The Vikings have relied on Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata during Peterson’s absence. The duo have rushed for 603 yards on 196 carries, and they’ve found the end zone six times. The Vikings currently rank second-to-last in the NFL in rushing yards (782), and they’re averaging a league-low 2.8-yards-per-attempt.

The Vikings actually cut running back Ronnie Hillman earlier this week, though they did add Bishop Sankey to their practice squad.

Adrian Peterson On Track For Dec. Return

November 24th, 2016 at 10:20am CST by Zachary Links

For most players, a significant tear to the meniscus is a season-ender. But, as we all know, Adrian Peterson isn’t like most players. The Vikings believe that the running back can return to action next month, people with knowledge of the situation tell Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports.

Over the next week or two, Peterson will ramp up his workload and that will give the Vikings a better handle on his timetable for return. If all goes well, we could see the veteran make a surprisingly quick comeback after suffering a “bucket handle tear” of the meniscus in September.

Peterson’s attempted return from surgery is admirable, but one has to wonder what Peterson can bring to the table this year. Before the injury, Peterson was uncharacteristically unproductive, totaling just 50 yards off of 31 carries. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata have done better than that, of course, but they’re also not setting the world on fire. The Vikings added Ronnie Hillman after AD went to IR, but he didn’t do much in limited action and was sent packing earlier this week.

Of course, if Peterson can run like he did at the close of the 2015 season, he’ll provide a huge boost for the 6-4 Vikings. The Vikings face the Lions this afternoon and the winner will be in the driver’s seat of the NFC North.

December Return In Play For Adrian Peterson?

November 21st, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adrian Peterson has progressed to the point a return by mid-December is a possibility, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reports.

The 10th-year Vikings running back has yet to resume running but is targeting this week to begin that part of his rehab. Goessling reports Peterson is making solid progress in an attempt to recover from meniscus surgery done in September. Although he’s exercising caution, as he did when he opted for surgery, Peterson could be back by Week 15 or Week 16.

There hasn’t been much of significance on the Peterson front since his surgery, but we’ve heard the 31-year-old running back has shown well in the weight room recently, with today’s report furthering the signs of progress for the future Hall of Famer.

However, a Peterson return is likely contingent on Minnesota remaining in the playoff race by this time next month. The Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak and are now 6-4 and set for a first-place matchup with the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Vikings then face the Cowboys and Jaguars before Peterson’s return range, and the team closes with the Colts, Packers and Bears.

Minnesota has seen its run game falter throughout the season. A year after the Vikings saw Peterson win the rushing title at age 30, they’ve plummeted to the league’s worst rushing attack. The Jerick McKinnon– and Matt Asiata-led backfield is averaging 70.0 yards per game — seven yards worse than the No. 31-ranked ground game. In 2014 with this duo at the controls, the Vikes ranked 14th in rushing.

Their offensive line has taken major steps back since then, and although Matt Kalil and Andre Smith‘s presences on IR have hurt, Peterson was averaging a ghastly 1.6 yards per carry in two games before his injury with those tackles involved. So, this group’s performance could conceivably factor into Peterson’s decision. Asiata and McKinnon are averaging 3.1 and 2.9 yards per carry, respectively.

But a Peterson return would undoubtedly boost the Vikings’ offense. He’s set to make an untenable $18MM in 2017, and his return to the Twin Cities next season is in doubt. Coming back healthy this season, if he’s able to reach that point, could help determine Peterson’s future with the team.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Lions, Packers, Vikings

November 17th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Zachary Links

After the Buccaneers used a second-round pick on him in 2013, cornerback Johnthan Banks went on to make 30 starts and intercept seven passes during his first two seasons. Banks’ playing time and impact dwindled in Tampa Bay over the past year-plus, though, leading the team to trade him to the Lions on Nov. 1. The 27-year-old attributes his precipitous decline to the Buccaneers’ coaching staff. “What was holding me back in Tampa? Coaches. That’s what was holding me back. Coaches,” he told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com on Thursday.“I mean, I can play. If you go and look at this year’s preseason, nobody in that secondary made more plays than me.” Banks added that he’s “past Tampa. I’m glad to be out here, and I wish them well.”The Bucs are

While Banks hasn’t yet debuted with the Lions, their staff – including cornerbacks coach Tony Oden – expects him to contribute soon, writes Meinke. Oden was the Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach in 2013, Banks’ three-INT rookie year. “I feel like he’s readjusted me all over again,” Banks said. “I’m a new corner again. Just changing me, getting me low, getting me into a better stance. I’ve had so many coaches, I’ve been changed so much, I feel like I was changed the wrong way. And, you know, I feel like I’m being coached right again.”

Good Chance Adrian Peterson Returns To Vikings In 2017

September 25th, 2016 at 11:09am CST by Rory Parks

Adrian Peterson indicated just yesterday that he believes he will return from IR this season, although his prognosis is certainly premature and perhaps overly optimistic, as doctors will have to wait at least one month before determining if the veteran back has any shot at playing again this year.

And, since his potential return to the field in 2016 is very much in doubt, there has already been a great deal of speculation regarding Peterson’s future in Minnesota. As the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote several days ago, Peterson never looked like a great bet to return to Minnesota in 2017 barring some sort of contract adjustment, as he’s set to count for an untenable $18MM on next year’s cap (which is comprised of a $6MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2017 league year, along with $12MM more in base salary and workout bonuses). All of that total can be cleared out by releasing him, and given that Peterson isn’t a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Norv Turner‘s scheme–not to mention the fact that the Vikings are transitioning into more of a throwing team under Turner–it is logical to think that he’ll be playing for a new club next season.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports added his support to that viewpoint his morning, writing that even if Peterson had enjoyed a typical Peterson year in 2016, it was highly unlikely that he would have returned to the Vikings under his current deal. As such, his future with the Vikings will hinge on their ability to renegotiate his contract prior to his $6MM roster bonus coming due in March.

Despite all of that, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Minnesota wants Peterson to retire as a member of the Vikings, and two sources with direct knowledge of the situation indicated that it would not be a surprise to see Peterson back with the club in 2017. After all, the massive $96MM deal that he signed in 2011 was always set to expire at the end of 2017, so it’s not as if player and team haven’t prepared for this moment. Furthermore, the restructure of that deal that Peterson and the Vikings agreed to in July of last year suggests that the two sides can come together to make a tough situation work, just as they did when Peterson was suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy in 2014.

Rapoport goes on to say that the Vikings have consistently demonstrated loyalty to Peterson since he was drafted in 2007, and they expect that to continue (they may also expect Peterson to pay them back in kind by agreeing to modify his contract). As Albert Breer of TheMMQB tweets, this situation is similar to the one that the Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald found themselves in several years ago, which ultimately resulted in a satisfactory compromise that kept one of the best players in franchise history with the only club he has ever known. And according to Rapoport, there is a good chance that Peterson and the Vikings will enjoy the same outcome.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Adrian Peterson Thinks He’ll Return From IR

September 24th, 2016 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson believes he will be ready to play when he’s eligible to return off injured reserve in eight weeks, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Peterson was placed on IR yesterday, but thanks to the NFL’s new injured reserve rules, he’s able to come back in two months if healthy.

However, according to those in the Vikings organization, Peterson’s optimism is somewhat unwarranted, and there is still doubt as to whether Peterson can return to the field in 2016, per Pelissero. Doctors will have to wait at least one month before determining if the veteran back has any shot at playing again this year.

A pair of surgeons told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press earlier this week that had Peterson opted to have the injured portion of his meniscus removed rather than repaired, he could have returned to the field in weeks, not months. But doing so could have presented problems for Peterson later in his career and during his post-football life, as such a procedure can lead to arthritis in the knee.

That decision by Peterson has reportedly led some Vikings to express “private” frustrations, as some teammates believe that Peterson could have played thorough the injury. But the “top” of the franchise — presumably the front office and/or ownership — are accepting of Peterson’s decision, and are hoping the veteran back returns in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Adrian Peterson, Vikings

September 23rd, 2016 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Some in the Vikings organization are “privately upset” that running back Adrian Peterson opted to undergo surgery on his torn meniscus rather than play through the injury, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Per Cole’s sources, a few of Peterson’s teammates believe he could have continued performing in spite of the tear, but the “top” of the franchise — presumably the front office and/or ownership — are accepting of Peterson’s decision, and are hoping the veteran back returns in 2017.

While management may want Peterson back next season, Cole did make it clear the the club wants him back “under a new contract,” which makes sense given that he’s set to count for an untenable $18MM on the salary cap. The Vikings could clear out that entire total by releasing Peterson, as he has no prorated signing bonus or guaranteed base salary remaining. A new deal that lowers his cap charge is probably the only avenue by which Peterson could return.

Peterson’s teammates may believe that he could have played through his tear, but there’s been no indication that that is the case. Instead, a pair of surgeons yesterday told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press that had Peterson opted to have the injured portion of his meniscus removed rather than repaired, he could have returned to the field in weeks, not months. But doing so could have presented problems for Peterson later in his career and during his post-football life, as such a procedure can lead to arthritis in the knee.

Peterson, 31, missed the majority of the 2014 season but bounced back last year to run for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also added 30 receptions for 222 yards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vikings Place Adrian Peterson On IR

September 23rd, 2016 at 1:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Vikings have placed running back Adrian Peterson on injured reserve, per a team announcement. Peterson underwent surgery Thursday to repair the torn meniscus he suffered in the Vikings’ 17-14 win over the Packers last Sunday.

Minnesota put left tackle Matt Kalil on IR with a hip injury earlier Friday, meaning only one of him or Peterson will be able to return this year. The likelier of the two to come back is Peterson, who the Vikings hope will take the field again by December, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

Peterson has long been the Vikings’ best player, having gone to seven Pro Bowls and racked up an MVP since they chose him seventh overall in the 2007 draft. The former Oklahoma Sooner wasn’t nearly as effective prior to succumbing to injury this year, though, as Peterson accumulated a meager 50 yards on 31 carries – good for an unsightly average of 1.6. However, the 31-year-old was a premier option as recently as last season, when he scored 11 touchdowns while leading the NFL in both carries (327, 39 ahead of second place) and yards (1,485).

Despite long-term injuries to Peterson, Kalil, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, the 2-0 Vikings will try to win their second straight NFC North title this year. The recently acquired Sam Bradford filled in well for Bridgewater in his debut Sunday, while the team’s hope is that its current in-house options will pick up Peterson’s slack.

Running backs Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon combined for a mere 13 carries over the season’s first two weeks, but their workloads are sure to increase in Peterson’s absence. Minnesota also signed fellow rusher Ronnie Hillman on Wednesday. Hillman logged 207 carries, 863 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Super Bowl-winning Broncos last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vikings Notes: Peterson, Coleman, Zimmer

September 22nd, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After Vikings running back Adrian Peterson underwent surgery on his meniscus today, initial reports indicated that he’d miss a minimum of three-to-four months, with the possibility looming that he could be sidelined for as many as six months. Two surgeons (who, it should be noted, did not operate on Peterson), confirmed that general timeline to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, who writes that Peterson is unlikely to return before December, if at all.

Had Peterson opted to have the injured portion of his meniscus removed rather than repaired, he could have returned to the field in weeks, not months, according to one of the surgeons. But doing so could have presented problems for Peterson later in his career and during his post-football life, as such a procedure can lead to arthritis in the knee.

Peterson’s 2016 season may be over prematurely, and his career with the Vikings could be coming to a close as well, opines Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Even setting aside his injury, Peterson never looked like a great bet to return to Minnesota in 2017 barring some sort of contract adjustment, as he’s set to count for an untenable $18MM on next year’s cap. All of that total can be cleared out by releasing him, and given that Peterson isn’t a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Norv Turner‘s scheme, it seems logical that he’ll be playing for a new club next season.
Head coach Mike Zimmer admitted that the Vikings made a “mistake” when they released safety Kurt Coleman prior to the 2014 season, as Tomasson writes in a separate piece. Coleman signed a one-year deal with Minnesota during Zimmer’s first year as coach, but the veteran defensive back never played a down for the club. In the years since, he’s blossomed into an excellent player with the Panthers, and recently inked a three-year extension. For his part, Coleman says he has “no hard feelings” about the decision, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Peterson isn’t the only Viking on the mend, as we learned earlier today that defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd is also undergoing a knee operation. Specifics of the surgery aren’t yet known, but it’s not a great sign for Floyd, who is signed through 2017 thanks to his fifth-year option.
In case you missed it, the Vikings yesterday placed left tackle Matt Kalil on injured reserve and signed former Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman.

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