Adrian Peterson hopes to play for the Vikings again in 2017, unlikely without paycut

The 2016 season didn’t come close to going as planned for Adrian Peterson and it’s possible it was his last with the Minnesota Vikings.

Peterson suffered a knee injury earlier in the year that required surgery to repair and he struggled with knee and groin injuries late in the season that spoiled his brief return. In just three appearances, Peterson managed only 72 rushing yards on 37 attempts.

His 32nd birthday is coming in March, but Peterson isn’t concerned at all that his struggles during the 2016 season mean the end is coming soon.

Peterson is due to receive a $6 million roster bonus in March and receive an $11.75 million base salary in 2017. The Vikings have until Feb. 5 to decide if they will pick up his 2017 salary or avoid the $18 million cap hit.

“I’ve been taking in a lot here the past couple weeks, and just the fans here,” Peterson said, via Vikings.com. “I’ve been here for 10 years, and we have a great team. We have some great things going on in Minnesota. I would love to continue to be a part of that.

“I’m going into this thinking about my guys and wanting to be back with my guys. [I realize] that at the end of the day, it is a business, so I always just let the chips fall where they may. But I would love to finish my career here and try to help bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota.”

Peterson was the No. 7 overall selection in the 2007 NFL draft and has 11,747 career rushing yards with the Vikings along with 97 rushing touchdowns. With 253 more rushing yards, he would become the 16th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 yards and he needs three more rushing touchdowns to become the ninth player to reach 100.

But if Peterson is unwilling to take a pay cut, it’s highly unlikely the Vikings would be willing to keep him at such a high price tag.

“There’s the reality that there comes a point in time where, yeah, the best thing to do is take a pay cut, and it might be in the best interest of the team, as well,” Peterson said, via the Pioneer Press.

Minnesota finished No. 32 in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry during the 2016 season. The 1.9-yard average for Peterson was his career worst while Jerick McKinnon led the team in rushing with only 539 yards.