Adrian Peterson unsure if he'll play Saturday, will he play for Vikings again?

It’s possible that last Sunday, and an unremarkable six-carry, 22-yard game in a horrendous 34-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, was the last time Adrian Peterson will play for the Minnesota Vikings.

Peterson showed up on the injury report on Wednesday with knee and groin injuries. After missing nearly the entire season after meniscus surgery, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Peterson was banged up coming out of his first game back. He said Wednesday, after missing practice, that he’s unsure if he’ll play on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.

With that, the discussion of his future with the Vikings moves closer to the forefront.

If Peterson doesn’t play this week, it’s possible he’ll be done for the season. The Vikings need to win out and get a lot of help to make the playoffs. There is a good chance the Vikings will be eliminated before Week 17 starts. If that’s the case, and Peterson doesn’t play in Week 16, there wouldn’t seem to be much reason for Peterson to play in the finale.

And then there’s the question of what will happen with Peterson in 2017. He’ll have an $18 million cap hit under his current contract, which is a lot for any running back and especially steep for one who will turn 32 in March.

Peterson said he didn’t want to specifically discuss his contract, but was asked if he thought he needed to play before the end of the season so the Vikings could judge whether he will be back.

“I wouldn’t think so,” Peterson said, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I’ve been here for 10 years and I think I’ve done some OK things. So I don’t know. You’d have to ask the other side that question. But, for me, I really don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I’ve been here 10 years.”

Perhaps Peterson plays on Saturday at Green Bay and again in Week 17. Maybe he’ll be back in Minnesota in 2017. But with his knee and groin acting up and the Vikings having very little chance to make the playoffs, it suddenly seems possible that Peterson’s historic Vikings career could be over.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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