Adrian Peterson might actually play in preseason
By Dan Zinski
Adrian Peterson is thinking about getting in some preseason action this year, but would it be wise for him to risk injury in exhibition games?
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson doesn’t need preseason carries. Even last year when he was coming back from almost a year off, Peterson didn’t need preseason carries.
But for some reason this year Peterson thinks he needs preseason carries.
"“I feel like getting out there and playing a little bit,” Peterson said in a phone interview. “It’s something that once that time comes around, I’ll have a better feel for, like, ‘Hey, I need to get out there just to kind of get the legs moving and get the pads (on) a little bit.’ I can tell you, though, I’m definitely more itching towards playing a little more in the preseason than I have the past seven, eight years.”"
Peterson’s last preseason action came against Dallas in 2011 when he ran 14 times for 84 yards (he put in an appearance in 2013 but didn’t touch the ball). Did getting that many preseason reps in 2011 help Peterson get off to a faster start? Well, in his first five games that year, Peterson popped for 98, 120, 78, 80 and 122 yards.
By contrast, last year Peterson got zero preseason carries and ran for just 31 yards in week 1 vs. San Francisco. Of course Peterson followed that up by going for 134, 126 and 81 in the next three games. So maybe getting a few reps helps you knock the rust off and maybe you do a little better out of the gate?
Next: Alexander could push Munnerlyn
At any rate, the oft-stated rationale for sitting Peterson out in preseason still holds: why risk your best and most important player’s health in a meaningless exhibition?
Peterson evidently has convinced himself that getting a few carries will help him feel better when the real games begin, but even if he does get out there, I doubt Mike Zimmer will leave him out there for very long.
The Vikings’ preseason schedule kicks off in August with road trips to Cincinnati and Seattle. The Vikings play their first game at U.S. Bank Stadium August 28 against San Diego. Maybe AD wants to be out there to help break in the new venue.