Adrian Peterson Returns—Sort Of

Adrian Peterson will finally be back on an NFL sideline this Sunday when his Minnesota Vikings play in the Hall of Fame Game.

The annual Canton, Ohio preseason contest doesn't just kick off the NFL season; the revenue actually keeps the Pro Football Hall of Fame's lights on and doors open. Peterson playing the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night will help ensure the Hall will still be there whenever he's done playing football for good.

But Peterson won't be playing, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. In fact, he won't be play at all this preseason. And whether this is a positive move for him and the team is uncertain. After all, the 30-year-old Peterson is entering the latter part of his career, and he hasn't played in nearly a year. The Vikings say they are trying to save his body from unnecessary punishment.

But after what he's gotten away with in the last year, Peterson must feel like he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to. He's feeling fairly emboldened these days. Despite his personal life troubles last year, Peterson believes his his legacy is already secured.

"I'm going to be blunt and honest with you," he recently told the Minnesota Star Tribune. "I feel like if I didn't play another snap in my life, I got the opportunity to go in the Hall of Fame right now."

And while Peterson may be right about his football accomplishments, his off-the-field reputation still needs repairing.

Nearly a year ago, America was horrified by the leaked photos of his abused child. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell found himself at the center of a national firestorm and bailed. He gave Peterson indefinite paid leave while figuring out a punishment—one that, when finally levied, was vacated by a federal judge.

Legally, Peterson got off scot-free. He pled no contest to a charge of misdemeanor reckless assault, avoiding jail time. He won't have to fulfill the penalties he accepted—two years' probation, a PSA about child abuse, a monthly check-in with a probation officer and drug tests—thanks to an Aug. 7 ruling by Texas State District Judge Kelly Case. Per the Associated Press, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon said Case seemed "enamored with an elite athlete."

As if all that weren't enough, Peterson's sensibilities were offended when the organization didn't throw its full weight behind him from the second those awful photos hit the Internet—so he spent all spring lobbying for a trade and/or a raise.

Incredibly, it worked.

After a public outrage so vociferous that Vikings corporate sponsors pulled funding, Peterson got a paid year off, a new contract, and is now free from any obligations save football.

But despite his Minnesota Vikings being scheduled for five preseason contests, Peterson won't play a down until the regular season kicks off.

Why?

For starters, this is Peterson's SOP: He hasn't played in preseason since 2011. For a former league MVP carrying a well-earned reputation for durability into his ninth season, a handful of reps doesn't seem like a big deal.

But the last time we saw Adrian Peterson run, he didn't look much like Adrian Peterson. He fruitlessly ploughed into the St. Louis Rams' defense 21 times for only 75 yards. That was Sept. 7, 2014—and if Peterson abstains from all the warm-up contests, the first time he feels an opposing tackler will be Sept. 14, 2015.

After a year on the shelf, Peterson might be in great shape—but getting into game shape, as any NFL player will tell you, is something different. Preparing your body to take and deliver hits can only be accomplished by taking and delivering a lot of hits.

It might seem silly to suggest a few dozen carries will make the difference between Peterson galloping out of the gate, and plodding his way through Week 1 like he did last year. But Peterson has crossed the running back Rubicon: He's 30 years old. He's one of just 10 backs in the 32-team era to compile over 2,000 carries. Per Pro Football Reference, Frank Gore is the only post-expansion runner who's carried the rock more often than Peterson and hasn't retired.

Assuming Peterson will be able to roll out of bed and roll over the NFL is a very, very big assumption—but it's an assumption his fans, coaches and teammates will be forced to make as he loiters on the sidelines in street clothes game after game after game after game after game.

Perhaps in head coach Mike Zimmer's mind, this cuts down on distractions. Fans and media won't be scrutinizing every Peterson carry, or grilling everyone in purple about whether he's back. But those questions are coming either way—and stonewalling for five weeks only heightens our anticipation (and their aggravation).

The only answer for Adrian Peterson—the only salve for the grievous offseason he's inflicted on his team, staff and fans—is "yes," he's back and better than ever. But sitting on the bench until the Vikings take a sloppy Levi's Stadium field for a year-opening edition of Monday Night Football is no way to ensure a triumphant return.

Nobody knows how much Adrian Peterson has left in the tank, or how much longer his body will hold up. When the season finally opens and he's forced to do his job, will he make a legacy-defining run through the season, leading the Vikings deep into the playoffs? Or will Vikings fans building him a new stadium be rewarded for their loyalty with a half-hearted effort and a quickly cashed check?

After a tumultuous year, Peterson has gotten everything he's asked for to ensure his supposed seamless return to the field. But will it end up being in his best interest?