Adrian Peterson: Training camp not vital for veterans

Should aging NFL players like Adrian Peterson cut back on off-season activities, including training camp?

In a recent article by Ben Goessling at ESPN, Adrian Peterson mentions that the grind of training camp and OTA’s might be the deciding factor when it comes to retirement, not his age. Adrian Peterson is not the first NFL player to tire from the rigors of training camp. This conundrum poses a good question. Should veteran players of a certain age be treated differently when it comes to off season workouts and training camp?

One might argue that football is a team game so no matter the age or veteran status, you should be there with your teammates. While there is plenty of truth to this statement, the fact of the matter is that football is a physically demanding sport. To reach the NFL, the typical player has played the game starting at a young age, excelled enough to succeed at the High School and Collegiate level, and were blessed enough to be drafted.

I’ve never been through a training program as strenuous as what the NFL demands. The closest thing I can look back on is when I went through military boot camp. Everyone in boot camp was 18-20(ish) years old. We were young and had no quit in us. We also knew that boot camp was a one-time initiation. Sure there would be other trainings and they depended on your job. Then I stop and think about going through boot camp, year after year. I couldn’t imagine re-enlisting, going through that into my 30’s. Sure we need to stay healthy and continue to work out, just not the same as we would in our teens or early 20’s. As we age, we need more rest.

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These days there’s plenty of data on the effects of concussions and head trauma NFL players endure. It’s the former players that struggle to get out of bed each morning that don’t get the attention they should. These former gridiron warriors played through pain during games, but also during the off-season. It was their livelihood and the feeling has always been to suck it up and show how tough you are.

Former Vikings running back Robert Smith saw this and decided he wanted to be able to enjoy life after football, without the pain. I was in the camp that would say “He makes millions of dollars playing a game, he needs to suck it up”. As I’ve gotten older though, I understand and appreciate why so many players are walking away from the game they love. You have to think about your future, no matter what your profession is. For NFL players, they have to dig deep and think about being able to enjoy life, running around with their future grandchildren.

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Life isn’t always in the now, when you have a family to care for the game changes. So should the way aging players in the NFL go about training. Adrian Peterson is one of many players to address this issue. In the past, a select few have gotten away with missing training camp altogether, as was the case when Brett Favre came to the Vikings. It’s time we stop looking at this as a weakness and embrace the fact that we can’t stop aging. More players might be inclined to play another season or two if they can cut back on the mundane rigors of non-stop off-season activities and instead focus on their families and self well-being.

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