5 best Minnesota Vikings running backs of the 21st century

1. Adrian Peterson (2007 – 2016)

As controversial as he may be off the football field, there is absolutely no denying what running back Adrian Peterson was able to do on the football field as a member of the Minnesota Vikings during his 10 seasons with the team.

He set the NFL record for rushing yards in a single game (296), came within a handful of yards of besting the league’s record for rushing yards in a season during Minnesota’s 2012 campaign (2097), and is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 11,747 yards.

Add in an MVP, 7 Pro Bowls, 7 All-Pro teams, and a Rookie of the Year award to his resume and it’s easy to see just how great he was during his time in Minnesota and just how much having him in the backfield meant to the team.

It’s crazy to look back and see that he carried the ball 2,418 times for Minnesota in 10 seasons…and he even missed 37 games in that time. That kind of workhorse player is the kind of individual who not only meant a lot to a franchise but WAS the franchise.

Next: 5 best Vikings quarterbacks of the 21st century

Notable mentions include Robert Smith, who missed the cut by making the 2000 season his last with the Minnesota Vikings and Dalvin Cook, who has the potential to rise to the top of this list rather quickly if he continues to showcase his talents going forward.