Despite reported interest from any number of NFL franchises, it seems the likeliest outcome of the current stalemate between the Minnesota Vikings and All Pro running back Adrian Peterson is - nothing.
That's right. After all the conjecture and rumors and nonsensical trade possibilities, it sounds like the Vikings really are dead-set on keeping Peterson and having him play out the remaining three years on his current contract.
Interestingly, the Vikings reportedly have a very specific reason for keeping Peterson and it's not just stubbornness and ironically, it's not about Peterson at all.
No, according to a report from Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, the Vikings want to keep Peterson mainly because of their belief that he'll provide ample assistance to young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater as he continues his development into a franchise-leading signal-caller.
"Publicly, the Vikings are sending all the signals that they believe they are a playoff team with Peterson on the roster in 2015. And there's no reason to doubt that they believe this," writes Robinson. "But retaining Peterson isn't simply about making the playoffs this season. It's about second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater solidifying as a franchise quarterback. The Vikings believe he is on his way, and that the next two seasons are especially fundamental to making sure that growth continues without major complications."
The Vikings brass, specifically GM Rick Spielman, head coach Mike Zimmer and owner Mark Wilf, reportedly view the next two seasons as crucial learning experiences for Bridgewater, first as a lesson in how to make the postseason and then as a lesson in how to win in the postseason.
In 13 games last season, Bridgewater certainly gave fans of the Vikings and the Minnesota leadership something about which to be optimistic.
The 32nd-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft managed 259 completions for 2,919 yards for 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, a 64.4 completion percentage and an 85.2 quarterback rating during his rookie season.
While the numbers themselves don't seem to jump off the page, it was the manner in which Bridgewater was able to post them - specifically, the leadership and poise he showed throughout a difficult, seven-win season for the Vikings marred from the outset by Peterson's own legal issues and league-mandated suspension.
In the end, it seems that unless the Arizona Cardinals or some other team absolutely blows Spielman and the Vikings out of the water with a trade offer, Peterson will remain with Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
That's good news for Vikings fans and, presumably, even better news for Bridgewater.
