Recently, there has been a ton of excitement and intrigue surrounding the possible return of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Some folks feel like he could be the missing piece in an offense that is struggling to put points on the board. And while Peterson is a definite stud of a running back, the current play at the position hasn’t been bad at all.
Rookie third round draft pick Jerick McKinnon is putting together a fantastic year. He’s proved that he’s much more than a project quarterback trying to adjust to being an NFL running back. He’s worked his way up the depth chart and is now the starting running back for the Minnesota Vikings, with his backup Matt Asiata getting the short yardage and goal line work.
Here are McKinnons stats so far this year:
Oct 26, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (31) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
9 games played
90 carries
446 rushing yards
5 yards per carry
20 catches
106 receiving yards
5.3 yards per catch
In Adrian Peterson’s 8 year NFL career, he has only averaged 5 yards per carry or more in two of his NFL seasons, his rookie year and his historic 2012 MVP year. If Peterson returns to the lineup, should he immediately unseat McKinnon as the Minnesota Vikings starting running back?
Adrian Peterson is signed by the Vikings through the 2017 season. He turns 30 years old this March and has a monstrous contract that finds him averaging $15.8 million against the team’s salary cap in the final three years of the deal.
What should Minnesota do if they end up with both running backs on their roster through 2017? Would Jerick McKinnon be regulated to third string if Peterson returned? Discuss this situation in the comments below.
Next: Will Kyle Rudolph Return For Week 11?
More from The Viking Age
- 6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings history
- Former Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC North
- Bears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take
- 6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023
- Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022