The Facts: Peterson remains suspended by the NFL, awaiting a Feb. 6 appeals hearing filed on his behalf by the NFL Players Association, but GM Rick Spielman says nothing has been resolved. Peterson is supposed to be suspended until “at least” April 15, but that is more than a month after the March 10 start of free agency and only weeks before the 2015 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, the Vikings will have to make some decisions about their running back position despite the uncertainty of Peterson’s decision. Spielman admitted that the Vikings have had internal “hypothetical discussions” about the Peterson plan, but he declined to go into details during a roundtable discussion with reporters on Wednesday.
Diehards Line:
“I don’t know if there’s a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want Adrian Peterson on the football team,” Spielman said. “If you can name me one. ... I don’t want to speak for other teams. I’m being a little sarcastic with that, but I know that he’s a pretty good football player.” There is little doubt about that after the 2012 NFL MVP ran for 2,097 yards in that season. But after he was indicted on child abuse charges in Texas in September, his season was done. When the NFL suspended Peterson for six games in December, his season was officially over, but he still has three years remaining on his contract, calling for a $12.75 million base salary in 2015 with a $15.4 million salary cap hit. The Vikings would only take a $2.4 million hit on their salary cap if they decide to release or trade him. So what’s the plan moving into the offseason? “I think a lot of it will depend on Adrian’s situation,” Spielman said. ... Stay tuned.