As Vikings running back Adrian Peterson continues to deal with a tragic personal situation, he continues to remain on track to play Sunday against the Panthers.
A source close to Peterson told PFT on Friday night that Peterson has not yet altered the intentions he expressed earlier in the day, before news emerged that his young son had died, the result of an alleged beating at the hands of the boy’s mother’s boyfriend.
Even better evidence that Peterson will play comes from the fact that the Vikings have not adjusted their injury report to list Peterson as questionable or doubtful or out. He is listed as probable, which technically means there’s a virtual certainty Peterson will be available for normal duty.
In other words, he’s playing.
The decision is intensely personal, and it’s for Adrian Peterson and only Adrian Peterson to make. It’s our understanding that the Vikings and Peterson have had the conversation regarding whether it’s in his best interests to assume the physical risks of football while dealing with the intense mental and emotional burdens of the past few days.
“I’m able to release a lot of stress through sports,” Peterson said on Friday afternoon.
It’s clear he has plenty of support among his teammates, and throughout the NFL.
“As an organization you really become a family,” linebacker Chad Greenway told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt of SiriusXM NFL Radio. “You become a group of men that [is] fighting for a common cause but obviously it goes over and above that. We have family, we have people that they’re near and dear to us, and when something like that happens with a family member you tend to hold them close and protect them, and that’s what we’re trying to do with Adrian, and just be there for him in any way that we can.
“I’ve played with the man for seven years, and I’ve seen so many great things from him in different ways and different fields and different aspects of life. And this is gonna be probably the most challenging thing he’s gonna deal with. And we all know how he hits challenges head on, and he’s just gonna do it his way, and we’ll be there for support.”
Peterson has taken to Twitter to express appreciation for all the support he has received, and he’ll surely be receiving even more of it in the days to come.
We continue to wish Adrian Peterson and his family the best at this incredibly difficult time.