Jerick McKinnon preparing for the Vikings’ 2017 season with a familiar face

The Minnesota Vikings running back has been training this offseason with former teammate Adrian Peterson as he gets ready to play in his fourth NFL season.

If someone told Jerick McKinnon before the 2016 season that he would end the year as the Minnesota Vikings’ leading rusher, he probably would have been pretty excited about that news. But despite setting career single-season highs in rushing yards, total yards from scrimmage, carries, and catches, it was a difficult year for the Vikings’ young running back in 2016.

After Peterson went down with a serious knee injury during Minnesota’s Week 2 win over the Green Bay Packers last season, the team turned to McKinnon to carry the load as its starting running back.

Minnesota Vikings

His production was okay in 2016, but he averaged almost a full two yards less per touch last year (3.9) than he had in his first two seasons combined (5.2). The opportunities to make plays were certainly available for McKinnon in 2016, but he was never really able to get into a groove on the field at all last year.

So 2017 is definitely an important year for the running back, especially since he will be a free-agent when the season concludes. He will be attempting to prove that he is worth a second contract with the Vikings or a new contract elsewhere.

In preparation for the most important year on the football field of his life, McKinnon has been training this offseason with Peterson. According to a recent article by 1500 ESPN’s Matthew Coller, the running backs have been working out together for, “more than two months,” during the offseason.

Despite Peterson no longer being a member of Minnesota’s roster, the two have continued the bond they have formed since McKinnon was drafted by the Vikings in 2014.

"“He took me in from the start, coming into the league, he taught me a lot. It’s always good to have somebody like that on your side supporting you, pushing you and just making me better overall as a player. I can’t thank him enough.”– Jerick McKinnon"

Next: Vikings begin offseason workouts on Monday

Minnesota’s fans will get to see just how much better McKinnon will be when he takes the field next year for the first time without Peterson being on the Vikings’ roster. With the emphasis that Minnesota’s front office has been making to improve their run blocking abilities this offseason, there is a good chance that McKinnon could be setting some new single-season career highs in 2017.