The message from Winter Park was clear – Adrian Peterson looks impressive.
Peterson returned to the Vikings for the second session of Organized Team Activities on Tuesday, and according to offensive coordinator Norv Turner it looks like he hasn’t missed a beat.
Peterson missed the last 15 games of the 2014 season while on leave and serving a league-imposed suspension following his indictment on a child abuse charge.
But now that he’s back, players, coaches and even the general manager seem impressed by what they have seen from him.
“I’ve been around a lot of guys a lot of years, and he’s one of the top guys I’ve been around,” said Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner to reporters after practice. “He just comes out and looks like he hasn’t missed a day. It was nice having him.”
According to ESPN, AP was right back to his familiar post, working with the first team offense on Thursday. He made some decisive cuts and even caught a few passes from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
“He’s very comfortable with what we are doing, he retained a lot, we have new stuff in and he was eager to get involved in that,” said Turner. “He’s had three good days.”
It wasn’t just the coaches impressed with how Peterson has looked. His teammates were impressed by the shape that the 2012 NFL MVP kept himself in while he was away from the game.
Captain Munnerlyn on Adrian Peterson: "The guy is in unbelievable shape, like he hadn't missed a step, and he's out to prove a point."
— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) June 4, 2015
Even the man who stands to lose the most playing time with AP back in the lineup – Jerick McKinnon – noted that he was excited to see No. 28 back on the field.
“It’s an opportunity to learn from the best running back in the game,” McKinnon told reporters. “The physical standpoint of athletes at this level is going to take care of itself. But it’s more about the mental aspect and knowledge and stuff like that. So I just get to learn from him, keep growing.”
The Vikings wrapped up their second week of OTA’s on Thursday.
