The end of an era: Minnesota Vikings moving on from Adrian Peterson

With the Minnesota Vikings issuing a statement about the future of Adrian Peterson, it appears to be the end of an era at the running back position.

Since the 2007, the Minnesota Vikings have been a team in transition. They have made several coaching changes, stadium changes, and have seen many great players come and go from the team roster.

One constant during that period of time has been the running back position. After being the #7 overall draft pick by the Vikings in 2007, Adrian Peterson was the standard at the position, becoming the face of the franchise.

Along the way, Adrian proved his worth on the football field. He led the NFL in rushing for three seasons, was a 7-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro player, and even became the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 NFL season.

For many fans, it is hard to remember a time the Vikings didn’t have Adrian Peterson at running back. However, it appears as though the 2017 season will be the first since 2007 that Peterson won’t be on the active roster at the start of the season.

With news that the Vikings signed running back Latavius Murray, they made another announcement on their official website where they closed the door on the return of Peterson for 2017.

Here is the tweet from the team’s official Twitter account with a quote from general manager Rick Spielman:

Although Adrian Peterson is still a free agent, he will likely find a new home with another team in the NFL. But his time with the Vikings will never be forgotten by the fans, or the organization, as Spielman said.

Next: Vikings free agency tracker

We at The Viking Age would like to wish Adrian Peterson the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his time with the Minnesota Vikings. He has left fans with many great memories on the football field and will likely create more wherever he plays during the 2017 season.