April 21--Adrian Peterson has been reinstated by the NFL, but it remains to be seen whether he'll play again for the Minnesota Vikings.
According to the Pioneer Press, the Vikings will keep their star running back for another season if they fail to trade him before next week's NFL draft. The newspaper reported there are six teams in the running to acquire Peterson via trade -- Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, reportedly has told the Vikings that the star running back would prefer to not return to the team. However, Peterson remains under contract for three years at $43.25 million and is owed nearly $13 million this season. Although none of the money is guaranteed, it appears Peterson's contract could be a significant roadblock for any team willing to take a chance on the 30-year-old.
Another pitfall to a potential trade is what the Vikings would want in return for Peterson. It's unknown whether the Vikings would want a first-round pick as part of a deal for him.
The NFL's most valuable player in 2012, Peterson was suspended indefinitely without pay in November for violating the league personal conduct policy. The suspension came two weeks after he pleaded no contest to reckless assault on his 4-year-old son.
Peterson rushed for 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games with the Vikings in 2013. In 2012, he came up nine yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record when he finished with 2,097 yards.
