The Minnesota Vikings have been in the NFL for just over a year, and they’ve played their first seven games with one of the most disappointing players in the league: Adrian Peterson.
The most notable development of Peterson’s career so far, though, has been his off-field behavior.
It’s a story that’s only just begun to emerge after he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, something that hasn’t been officially ruled out by the NFL.
Peterson, 32, has made headlines a number of times in the last year.
Last week, he said he’d never do drugs again, which was met with some skepticism, but Peterson’s statements about substance abuse were the most significant one to come out of the Minnesota-Green Bay game.
The Vikings, who lost 24-21 to the Packers, are now the first team in league history to go 3-0 without a win.
That includes a 5-0 record against the Vikings.
But they still haven’t played since Peterson went down.
The Vikings are currently 5-3 and have a winning record against teams that have played at least a half.
Peterson has been a thorn in the Vikings’ side during their first few years as a franchise.
He was suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he’s been in and out of rehab facilities throughout his career.
He has an extensive history of off-the-field problems, which include drug use, assault, domestic violence, and drug-related convictions.
But after two seasons, Peterson finally got a chance to start a new chapter in his career and had a great year.
The offense has been good for him.
Peterson’s been sacked just once in the first eight games.
He’s thrown for 4,064 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He leads the NFL in completions per game and passer rating (86.6).
The Vikings offense has improved a lot from last year, but they still aren’t great.
Peterson has been sacked only once in those games.
It was a sack of him by Packers cornerback Tramon Williams in Week 4, and Peterson has also been sacked nine times in his last four games.
He has also led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns, and the Vikings rank third in rushing defense.
But the Vikings offense hasn’t lived up to expectations, and there’s a good chance that Peterson will have to wait until the offseason to return to full strength.
The team is also trying to find a way to replace Peterson’s production, as the team’s cap number is $12.5 million.
That means the Vikings will be forced to pay him a hefty amount of money in the future.
Peterson could be the team to make a big impact.
