For a decade in purple, Adrian Peterson gave Vikings fans plenty of thrills and chills, and later in his career conflicting feelings, as he plowed over would-be tacklers and pulled away from defenders in the open field.
His 2012 season, when he bounced back from a major injury suffered that previous December to win the league's Most Valuable Player award and nearly ran down Eric Dickerson's single-season NFL rushing record, established the team's 2007 top pick as a generational talent and likely Hall-of-Famer.
But the soon-to-be 32-year-old will likely have to continue his chase of the career rushing record elsewhere. The Vikings announced Tuesday that they will not exercise their 2017 option on Peterson's contract.
The two sides may continue negotiations, but the Vikings have decided they won't do it at the $18 million contract level Peterson was scheduled to make this season.
Peterson is now a free agent for the first time in his 10-year career.
While there is a chance that the Vikings could still bring back Peterson at a more realistic salary after he gauges his value on the open market, the seven-time Pro Bowler has likely played his last down for Minnesota.
"It's been a great 10 years with the Minnesota Vikings. They know what I bring to the organization as a player, with my work ethic and dedication," Peterson told Josina Anderson of ESPN. "I spoke with Rick Spielman this past weekend. The door is still open to find some common ground. I understand addressing the offensive line is one of their main priorities this offseason. In the meantime, I will explore my other options and see what path God leads me on. My main goal remains the same: to win a Super Bowl championship with a great team, which I also believe we have in Minnesota."
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said last week that Peterson "will always be a Viking." That doesn't mean he'll always play for them, however.
"Adrian is an important part of the Minnesota Vikings organization," Spielman said Tuesday. "We will continue to have conversations with his representatives and leave our future options open while determining what is best for both parties moving forward."
It was quite the run for Peterson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 draft.
As a rookie, the former Oklahoma Sooners star set the NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296 in a win over the San Diego Chargers, a record that still stands. Despite splitting carries with Chester Taylor that year, Peterson rushed for 1,341 yards and a dozen touchdowns.
Peterson would rush for at least 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first four NFL seasons. He was on pace to do it again in 2011 before he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee at Washington's FedEx Field on Christmas Eve, setting the stage for his stunning comeback and MVP campaign.
Peterson was amazingly ready to roll by the 2012 season opener and carried the Vikings to the playoffs with 2,097 rushing yards, just eight yards shy of the NFL's single-season record set by Dickerson in 1984.
In 2014, he played only one game before he was indicated on child abuse charges in his home state of Texas. Peterson spent the rest of the season on either the NFL's suspended list or commissioner's exempt list.
He avoided jail time by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault and was reinstated for the 2015 season. But some Vikings fans vowed that they would no longer support the running back.
After an uncomfortable stalemate with the organization, Peterson finally returned to the team in late May and soon signed a new contract through 2017 that ensured he remained the NFL's highest-paid running back.
After another All-Pro season in 2015, Peterson played in only three games last season due to knee and groin injuries. He struggled behind one of the league's worst offensive lines, averaging a career-low 1.9 yards per carry.
In his final game with the Vikings last December, when he returned after an 11-game absence, Peterson rushed for only 22 yards on six carries and lost a fumble during a blowout home loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Barring a return to the team at some point, Peterson has finished his Vikings career with 11,747 rushing yards and 97 touchdowns on the ground.
He has long stated that one of his main career goals is to top Emmitt Smith's career rushing record. Peterson, who is 16th on the all-time list, still has a long way to run. He trails Smith by rushing 6,608 yards.
Peterson still thinks he can play a few more years in the NFL. And he has defied the odds before during his career. But after the Vikings cut their all-time rushing leader, he'll likely have to defy them elsewhere.
