Adrian Peterson is the one running back that could easily play into his late 30’s. Apparently that part won’t be the issue for Peterson as he believes the mental aspect will be the first part to go.
“That’s it,” Peterson told ESPN. “Training camp, going through the grind, OTAs and all that — that will definitely be the deciding factor. Physically, body-wise, I’ll be good. It’s just mentally — like with OTAs, I’m out there practicing, I’m going, I’m putting in work. But it’s so repetitive that it’s more suited toward the young guys and getting them into the system. It gets kind of boring.”
“Think about this: The 2012 season (after recovering from ACL surgery), I didn’t do any training camp,” he said. “But I was over there on the side, working out. You get that extra month of working out? Come on, man. I would much rather not participate in training camp and work out, just to have more of an edge. Training camp, you’re going out there, you’re playing football, you’re going to lift, and after that, you don’t want to do anything. You’re tired, from meetings and all that.”
Of course as A.P. ages the Vikings could allow him to skip some of the offseason events in order to stay fresh for the season. Head coach Mike Zimmer is one of the best coaches in the league and with the help of long time offensive coordinator Norv Turner I’m sure they will figure something out. Adrian Peterson needs only 6,681 yards to break Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing record, a very attainable feat.
