Earlier this year, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson hoped to secure his future in Minnesota beyond 2015. He now has. Sort of.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Peterson’s deal carries $20 million guaranteed at signing. Part of that amount is guaranteed for injury only, for now. The rest is fully guaranteed.
While the full details have been hard to nail down, common sense suggests that the Vikings fully guaranteed the $13 million Peterson was due to make in 2015, with the other $7 million being an injury-only guarantee until, for example, the start of the 2016 waiver period or the commencement of the 2016 league year.
This approach would force the Vikings to make an early decision in 2016 on whether to keep Peterson or to move on, preventing the Vikings from squatting on Peterson until after the big money has flowed in free agency and teams otherwise have made their plans for the next season. If the Vikings move on, they’ll move on early — and Peterson will be more likely to find a favorable landing spot for continuing his career.