Vikings RB Adrian Peterson is still waiting to see if he’ll be allowed to return this season after his appeal case was heard by officer Harold Henderson this week.
However, even if Peterson’s suspension were to stand and prevent him from returning to the team before April 15 of next year, he still believes he has several quality years ahead of him.
“People say, ‘Oh, running back hits 34, 35 (and he’s done). When you get to 30, you go down.’ I don’t believe that,” Peterson said, via Tom Pelissero of USA TODAY. “...I believe I’m just now here in my prime. I believe these next five or six years – or however long I decide to play – it’s going to be the same production and I’m going to do even better than I did before in my 20s.”
Henderson has reportedly urged both parties to begin negotiating a settlement, but Pelissero reports that the NFL hasn’t extended his representatives a formal offer as of Friday.
According to Pelissero, Henderson told the two sides on Thursday that a ruling would take around one week, and there’s still the possibility that this situation could drag on.
Peterson, soon to be 30, still has another three years remaining on his seven-year, $96 million contract that included $36 million guaranteed. Although, the Vikings will have to decide if Peterson is worth the $11.75 million he stands to make next year.
There has been plenty of talk about Peterson turning thirty and whether he’ll be worth that kind of money.
Peterson points to the fact that he was able to come back from a torn ACL and perform at an extremely level, so to him, entering his thirties isn’t that big of deal.
“If you think you’re old, you’re going to feel old, you’re going to act old,” Peterson said. “You take care of your body and put the right things in your body, your body will take care of you.
“People thought I was crazy when I said I was going to come back from my ACL injury (in 2011). You know why? Because they couldn’t believe that it could be possible. But I believed.”
There is still a chance that Peterson could play in the final three games of the season if he wins his appeal case next week.
For what it’s worth, Peter King of MMQB.com mentioned earlier in the day that Peterson is “likely (but not certain) to be reinstated by a league appeals officer.”
We’ll have more updates regarding Peterson and his potential reinstatement as the news is available.
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