After the news broke today that Adrian Peterson’s appeal has been denied, the former NFL MVP’s future is in even more doubt. In fact, even Adrian Peterson himself doesn’t know if football is the direction that his life should be headed in anymore.
Peterson was handed a suspension with an indefinite end, stating that he was suspended for “at least this season” and stayed on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list following the ruling. That still leaves him with the same hurdles to jump as before his legal issues were resolved. With no idea when or if he will be able to return to football, Adrian Peterson was forced to start thinking about his future.
In a recent article on ESPN’s website, Adrian Peterson spoke about what he would do if he decided to retire from the NFL at 29 years old. Here’s what he said:
"Oct 8, 2014; Conroe, TX, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson watches as attorney Rusty Hardin (not pictured) speaks to the media outside of the Montgomery county courthouse. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports“I’ve considered retiring from the NFL,” Peterson said. “I still made $8 million dollars this year. I’ve thought about getting back into the real estate (business in Texas) I’m already in. That’s something I’ve been interested in, something I’m involved in. I’ve thought about getting back into that. I’ve thought about going after the Olympics — you only live once.”"
But that doesn’t mean that Adrian Peterson wouldn’t miss the game of football. He went on to clarify that his heart is still in the game.
"“Of course I’d miss it. It’s my first love. But the reason I would be walking away from it would be (if the next steps in the process) kind of solidify that hurt from these incidents. I would know that, ‘Hey, you’re walking away not because you’ve given up. You’re walking away because they’re handling you all the way wrong in this situation. They’re painting you out to be a guy that you’re not.”"
There’s always a possibility that Adrian Peterson could return to the Vikings. If not the Vikings, then at least return to the NFL. But that’s out of his hands for now and he’s got no way of knowing if putting on those cleats one more time is even a possibility in his future. It’s a shame to see such a talent kept away from the football field, especially for a suspension of unknown length and a list only Roger Goodell can remove him from.
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