While the newly restructured contract for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson seems, at first blush, to be all about Peterson, it may actually say more about how the Vikings view of young franchise signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater and further, their expectations for the 2015 season. The Vikings did the restructuring not just to show Peterson that they were committed to Peterson for the next two seasons, but also because of the development shown by Bridgewater and the franchise's belief that they're ready to contend for the playoffs in 2015, according to a report from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.
Considering the team finished 7-9 last year and the offseason has thus far been fraught with reports and rumors and general concern over Peterson and whether or not he wants to be in Minnesota, the revelation that head coach Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman are thinking playoffs is eye-opening.
The Vikes announced on Tuesday that they had mutually agreed to a restructuring of the final three years of Peterson's deal, potentially paving the way for a much happier marriage between the two sides.
"This agreement is a win for both Adrian and the Vikings and is a positive step toward Adrian finishing his career as a Minnesota Viking," general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement released by the team. "As we have consistently said, Adrian is a valuable part of the Vikings organization and we look forward to his return to the field."
"I appreciate the Vikings for working together on this restructured contract, which provides additional security for me but also allows opportunities for me to further prove my value to the team and within the NFL," Peterson said. "It was important for me to continue my career in Minnesota, and I cannot wait to get on the field in front of Vikings fans again."
As Robinson notes, the groundwork for a restructuring was laid when Peterson showed up for OTAs. The Vikings wanted to show commitment to their formerly disgruntled running back beyond 2015 and Peterson wanted to ensure that the guaranteed money in his deal matched his expected contributions on the field the next couple of years. That's just what it did - Peterson's contract now carries sizable guarantees in 2015 and 2016 and allows both sides to walk in 2017 if need be.
With Bridgewater looking to build upon a rookie year that showed ample promise but ultimately left NFL pundits and Vikes fans with little in the way of firm expectations going into Year Two, a happy and satisfied Peterson will mean the world for Minnesota. His ability to impact the offense either by toting the rock on a consistent basis to great effect, catching passes out of the backfield or acting as a decoy when necessary will take ample pressure off Bridgewater and, presumably, allow the young QB and his other offensive weapons like Cordarrelle Patterson and Charles Johnson to develop at a more natural rate.
That being said, the team's belief that they're postseason-worthy means Bridgewater's learning curve will be steep. Luckily he'll have the likes of Peterson, perhaps one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, to lean on.
