Former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is a free agent. Peterson has been with the team ever since being drafted by the Vikings in the first round in 2007, but he has shown strong signs of leaving this year.
While struggling with a torn meniscus after a week-three game against the Carolina Panthers, Peterson only ran for 72 yards in the 2016 NFL season, making it one of his worst seasons ever.
In the past, Adrian Peterson was able to prove that he is one of the best running backs in the game. In 2012, he won NFL Most Valuable Player with remarkable stats such as rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Now that Peterson is a free agent, there are many teams who are looking for a great running back such as him. But at 31, Peterson’s age might become a factor to him; the average retiring age of running backs is around 35 years old.
For example, there are many teams such as the Dallas Cowboys who have been looking at Peterson to join their team. Adrian Peterson, if he decided to go to the Dallas Cowboys, would be alongside another great running back in Ezekiel Elliott, who was formerly a rookie last season and still put up great stats for a person to enter their first year into the National Football League.
But a big team that could potentially have very high hopes on getting Adrian Peterson is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers are struggling with their running game and they only have one decent running back by the name of Doug Martin, who is not able to contribute well. If the Buccaneers ever ended up signing Adrian Peterson, they would be a team with a lot of young talent that could potentially be a playoff team.
Many analysts like to look into the future and predict if an athlete might go to another team, but in reality, most of the time they end up staying where they came from. In Adrian Peterson’s case, I think that he will stay a Viking and play the rest of his career.
As a Minnesota Viking, Adrian Peterson was able to accomplish many things such as winning MVP and being considered one of the greatest players of all time to play the running back position. Peterson and the Vikings are able to win a Superbowl if they stay healthy throughout the season. The Vikings were 5-0 in the beginning of the season, having one of the best records in the league until they struggled with injuries and ended up going 8-8.  
By the start of next season, Adrian Peterson will most likely be very healthy and ready to go with his quarterback Sam Bradford, assuming that he signs with the Vikings again. This Vikings team is very capable of doing well with the talent that they are presented, but it all begins with signing that key player, which has to be Adrian Peterson.