The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their three day minicamp at Winter Park on Thursday. It signaled the end of the Vikings offseason workout program and the countdown until training camp starts in five weeks.
Now that OTA’s and minicamp have ended, Adrian Peterson described his return to the team as pleasant and even acknowledged there were some things he had been missing.
Adrian Peterson was “craving Cold Stone” when he came back to Minnesota. “I love my ice cream, but Blue Bell is no longer out there.’’
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 18, 2015
Peterson addressed reporters Thursday, following practice and said his body has felt good since returning from his long layoff.
“I’ve had a long time to work out, there’s nothing like coming out here and playing football,” Peterson told reporters. “Maybe like a day or so, after that first day the legs were just a little sore, the calves really, but after that I could tell that I’ve really been working because I really didn’t feel too much soreness after that.”
But he isn’t planning on taking it easy in the five weeks before training camp. The 30-year-old running back still has his honeymoon on hold as he prepares for the new season.
Adrian Peterson says he had thought about going to Europe this summer but will work out his honeymoon remains on hold
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) June 18, 2015
The Vikings finished 7-9 last season, mostly without Peterson, who missed the final 15 games while on leave dealing with child abuse allegations and later following a suspension from the NFL.
Now that he’s back, they’re hoping Peterson’s work during his time away from the game pays off for a team that has playoff aspirations in 2015.
“Well, with one of the greatest running backs in the history of the game, it probably should change a lot,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told reporters. “I think that people will play us a little bit differently, and I think that will help us in a lot of ways. We’re going to continue to do a lot of the things we do offensively, but we’re obviously going to use Adrian in ways that are productive for him, as well.”
