The Facts: Peterson is working his way back into playing shape. The Vikings star is taking part in his first team practices since last September. He acknowledged to NFL Network's Marshall Faulk that the initial practices presented some physical challenges to his 30-year-old body. "I kind of started off slow the first practice, 9-on-7," he explained Tuesday. "It was decent but really didn't feel as explosive as I would have liked so I kind of had to grind, normally I do my hulk, little grind, wake myself up and felt a little spark and kind of got back into the groove. After that I feel pretty good."
Diehards Line:
Peterson added: "That hunger is there. I'm sure as we go through camp, get these pads on, it'll just wake up even more." We're betting on it. After all, Peterson's on-field rust is understandable. He hasn't played a snap since Week 1 of the 2014 season. He kept his body fit in the offseason with workouts that left teammate Mike Wallace astounded by the running back's physical ability. Peterson has repeatedly stated his goal is to rush for 2,500 yards this season. That's obviously a reach, but nobody should be surprised when he sets the bar high.