The Vikings made a Colts-out-of-Balimore middle-of-the-night signing of running back Latavius Murray, which could mean come the light of day that the Vikings will have moved on from Adrian Peterson.
It’s the immediate question raised by Murray’s arrival: Have the Vikings slammed the door on bringing back Peterson?
The easy answer is “probably.” More will be known based on the magnitude of the contract that Murray signed. In theory, he could simply become the new Matt Asiata in the Vikings offense, with Peterson back as the starter and underrated Jerick McKinnon adding versatility.
More also will be known when the Vikings have something to say about Peterson. At the latest, coach Mike Zimmer and/or G.M. Rick Spielman will be talking to the media at the league meetings in Arizona, in roughly 10 days.
Of course, Peterson could have a new team by then, which would make the question of whether he’ll be back with the Vikings moot.