If ever there were a running back who could break the mold and exceed expectations of 30-year-olds at the position, it's Adrian Peterson. The Vikings running back has long shattered what we think we know about running backs (and even longer talked about how he's going to shatter expectations for his production as he ages).
So maybe he avoids retirement by staying dominant into his 30s (he turned 31 in March). Or maybe he walks away early from the NFL because the offseason is "boring." That was Peterson's explanation to ESPN's Ben Goessling as to why he could leave the game of football early.
"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."
The important thing here isn't that Peterson might actually get bored by football. If he can play, he'll play. It's more about a physical ability to withstand the grueling nature of the position.
And Peterson can say his body will hold up, but whether it actually does is a different story. There are just 23 instances of running backs at age 31 or older rushing for more than 1,000 yards. Move that number to age 32 and you get just 11 instances of running backs crossing the 1,000-yard marker.
Peterson has averaged 1,297 yards for his career. So how many players 31 years or older have hit that the 1,250-yard marker? Six. Curtis Martin (31), Tiki Barber (31), Thomas Jones (31), John Riggins (34), Tony Dorsett (31) and Walter Payton (twice, 31 and 32).
So it's totally doable, just not very likely. And maybe Peterson has a solution to help him out: skipping training camp.
"Think about this: The 2012 season [after recovering from ACL surgery], I didn't do any training camp. But I was over there on the side, working out," Peterson said. "You get that extra month of working out? Come on, man. I would much rather not participate in training camp and work out, just to have more of an edge. Training camp, you're going out there, you're playing football, you're going to lift, and after that, you don't want to do anything. You're tired, from meetings and all that."
Peterson joked about something in his next contract, which, well, will be interesting to watch considering he's signed through age 32. Peterson is a huge part of the Vikings, but it's hard to imagine them committing a large sum of money to a running back at that age.
And who knows, maybe family takes him away from the game. Peterson and his wife just had a second son, and Peterson has four other children outside the marriage as well.
"All that could be a deciding factor for me, too," Peterson 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]."
For all the hand-wringing about running backs hitting a plateau at a certain age, Peterson just came off a season where he led the league in carries (327), yards (1,485) and rushing touchdowns (11). He also missed a season because of time spent on the Commissioner's Exempt list in 2014, so it's a little fair to hand him back a season of mileage.
Peterson's as good a bet as just about any running back to keep his production up past the age of 31. He's shown a strong desire to keep playing football for a long time. If family or the boredom of training camp takes him away early, it would be a pretty big upset.
