Minnesota Vikings: Would You Rather?

Would You Rather: Bring back Adrian Peterson, or roll with Jerick McKinnon and whomever else the Vikings have next season?

Sep 7, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs the ball against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Might as well get the most controversial question out of the way first.

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One issue still at hand is no one knows for sure what Adrian Peterson’s status will be next season, at least until April. That said, I am working under the assumption that he will be available for this coming season. The other big question is whether or not Peterson and the Vikings are willing to restructure his contract. Per the website Over The Cap, Peterson is set to make $15.4 million for the upcoming season, but would only cost the Vikings $2.4 million in dead money against the cap if he is cut before June 1. Conventional wisdom suggests that with the devaluation of the running back position that has taken place over the past decade, the team will attempt to trim his salary if they intend to bring him back at all.

The other side of that coin is Peterson’s willingness to restructure. According to Associated Press reporter Jon Krawczynski on Bumper-to-Bumper with Dan Barreiro, Peterson is miffed that there may be some folks in the Vikings front office who would rather move on than bring Peterson back into the fold.

Peterson is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in franchise history, but the Vikings made some positive strides without him in 2014. Jerick McKinnon saw his season end prematurely, but played well in a starting role. Bringing back Peterson brings up some ethical questions as well as potential sponsorship issues. Despite everything, I want Peterson to come back. Do you?

Next: Teddy or Aaron?