Vikes won't speculate on possible return of Adrian Peterson

Nov 03, 2014

When the Vikings put Adrian Peterson on the Exempt List and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, made it clear the superstar running back intended to go to trial, it appeared Peterson's season had ended early.

But reports from ESPN and Pro Football Talk this weekend said that Peterson may reach a plea bargain as early as Tuesday and that the agreement would reduce the pending felony child-abuse charges to a misdemeanor.

If that's the case, it's not unthinkable that Peterson could return and play for the Vikings this season.

Here's what head coach Mike Zimmer had to say Monday when a reporter asked him about the situation:

"You sound like a coach with all those 'what ifs' in there," Zimmer said. "You know, I only go by what I see. Adrian has always been great with me. He's been top-notch, first-class, did everything I asked him to do. I'm not going to speculate on what happens, 'if' and 'when' and all this. When and if it happens then I'll be glad to talk to you about it."

Fantasy Impact:

ESPN's Chris Mortensen said it's "very possible" Peterson plays again with the Vikings this season, though he'll have to be reinstated by the league and the team would have to welcome him back. According to Mortensen, the team has been "softening" its stance towards their controversial running back. We still believe it's unlikely that Peterson plays, but owners with room on the bench may want to stash Peterson in case the chips fall into place. Remember, Mortensen isn't infallible. While the Josh Gordon saga was going on, he said that the chances of Gordon being fully reinstated were "100 percent." That obviously didn't happen.

yesterday

Raiders sign RB Sincere McCormick to roster; WR D.J. Turner to IR

Pro Football Talk

yesterday · 7:50 PM EST

The Raiders used up their temporary practice squad elevations for running back Sincere McCormick, so they made a more lasting roster move on Tuesday.

McCormick has been signed to the 53-man roster in Las Vegas. Wide receiver D.J. Turner was placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move.

Related players: Alexander Mattison, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah

Fantasy Impact:

McCormick played in the last two games for the Raiders as they were missing Mattison and White due to injuries. McCormick ran 12 times for 64 yards in last Friday’s loss to the Chiefs and he had five carries for 33 yards against the Broncos in Week 12, the story said. McCormick led the way for the Raiders against the Chiefs with 12 carries to Abdullah's 10. McCormick may be worth a pickup and stash at this point, as the Raiders are trying to figure out their roster for 2025. Mattison, White and Abdullah don't necessarily offer much future upside at the position, so it's possible the team will see what they have with McCormick going forward. However, keep an eye on the injury statuses of Mattison and White. The Raiders are at Tampa Bay in Week 14.

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler (concussion) week to week

Ben Standing on X

yesterday · 7:21 PM EST

Austin Ekeler's response when asked whether he could return this season:

"It's week to week. I want to continue to learn more. It's my second concussion (this season). Am I more susceptible to a third now that I've had two and the severity of mine? It's a learning process for me because I've never had anything this bad and twice in the same season. ... The best thing about is the team has my back ... I really appreciate DQ (Dan Quinn) and Adam Peters for being there."

Related players: Brian Robinson, Jeremy McNichols, Chris Rodriguez

Fantasy Impact:

It doesn't seem like Ekeler has a timetable and the week to week tag indicates it could be some time. Ekeler is clearly concerned about this long-term well-being. From a fantasy angle, Robinson should continue to lead the way with McNichols seeing the passing down work. Rodriguez may be a guy to pick up in deeper leagues as a stash, especially if Ekeler ends up missing significant time. Rodriguez got some mop-up time and ended up carrying the ball 13 times for 94 yards, adding a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Titans.

49ers sign RB Israel Abanikanda; RB Christian McCaffrey to IR

Pro Football Talk

yesterday · 6:09 PM EST

The 49ers were down to one healthy running back on their active roster, so they added another one off the waiver wire on Tuesday.

The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that they have claimed Israel Abanikanda off of waivers from the Jets. Abanikanda was let go on Monday when the Jets signed running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu to the 53-man roster.

Christian McCaffrey was officially moved to injured reserve in a corresponding move.

Related players: Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor, Ke'Shawn Vaughn

Fantasy Impact:

Guerendo is expected to take over the team's RB1 role with Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason both heading to IR. Abanikanda should be a familiar name to those in dynasty circles. He was a 2023 fifth-round pick but at the time was buried on the depth chart with the Jets, and he never earned much of a role on offense and didn’t play in the regular season this year, the story said. He appeared in six games as a rookie and ran 22 times for 70 yards while catching seven passes for 43 yards, the story added. The team also signed Vaughn to their practice squad.