Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Says He May Retire Early Due To ‘Boring’ Training Routine

If there’s one NFL running back who has proven several times that he can continue to deliver great performances compared to other running backs around his age, it’s Adrian Peterson. 

Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Says He May Retire Early Due To ‘Boring’ Training Routine

The 31-year-old Minnesota Vikings star, is the league’s reigning rushing champion, and there appears to be little doubt in his or his trainer James Cooper’s mind that he can deliver again next year or perhaps even break Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record.

However, it’s the toll of the grind– rather than his age or anything else– that may eventually do him in, Peterson recently said.

In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Peterson stated he believes his body will hold up as long as he wishes to play. He is 6,681 yards away from Smith’s all-time rushing record, and even though only 12 players have ever surpassed 1,000 yards in a season at age 31, the running back isn’t fazed.

The factor that will most determine how long Peterson has left in his career, however, will be how much longer he is willing to undergo the boredom of NFL life.

“That’s it. Training camp, going through the grind, OTAs and all that — that will definitely be the deciding factor,” Peterson said. “Physically, body-wise, I’ll be good. It’s just mentally — like with OTAs, I’m out there practicing, I’m going, I’m putting in work. But it’s so repetitive that it’s more suited toward the young guys and getting them into the system. It gets kind of boring.”

When reminded how many times his old teammate, former quarterback Brett Favre, seemed to come out of retirement right around the time a minicamp or training camp was over, Peterson joked, “I might have to try that.”

The running back is far from being the first veteran to grow tired of training camp, but Peterson stated his eyes were open during his suspension last season, when he had more time to be at home with his wife, Ashley, and his son, Adrian Jr.

Peterson received a suspension from the NFL in November 2014 after an investigation into the running back’s discipline of one of his children, which involved using a switch. Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault, was forced to pay a $4,000 fine and serve 80 hours of community service, and was reinstated by the league in April 2015.

Peterson has five other children, including a son Axyl, who was born last September.

“All that could be a deciding factor for me, too,” he said. “The kids and all that, that plays a role, because I love spending time with my kids, and they’re getting older now. We’ll see how things play out. I think you just have to wait for that time to come, and it will feel right or it will feel wrong. Right now, it feels good. It feels right [to be playing].”

Peterson has averaged 1,297 yards for his career. The seven-time Pro Bowler was drafted by the Vikings as the seventh overall pick in 2007 out of Oklahoma.

“To the public, he’s Adrian Peterson. He’s this workout king,” Cooper said. “But to me, he’s just another number. He’s literally someone who still hasn’t reached his full potential.”

Cooper added that his main suggestion to Peterson was for him to retire when he knows he can’t put in the same level of effort during the offseason.

Peterson just came off a season where he led the league in carries (327), yards (1,485) and rushing touchdowns (11).

Caption:MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 20: Shea McClellin #50 of the Chicago Bears wraps up Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter of the game on December 20, 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Bears 38-17. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)