Minnesota Vikings all-time Mount Rushmore

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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 10: Running back Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the football during the first half of the NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 10, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Vikings Mount Rushmore: RB Adrian Peterson

He took a licking during his tenure in the Twin Cities and he is still in the league as an effective player. And while his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings didn’t necessarily end on a positive note, running back Adrian Peterson is one of the best players in league history at his position.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the former University of Oklahoma workhorse showed his mettle from the very start. And early in his career, he was simply brilliant. Midway through his rookie season, he ran for an NFL record 296 yards vs. the San Diego Chargers.

Three times while with the Vikings, he led the league in rushing yards. That includes 2012, when he went on a relentless tear and challenged Eric Dickerson’s single-season record (2,105) – set with the Rams in 1984. Peterson finished with 2,097 yards on the ground and captured NFL MVP honors.

These days, he still doing his thing with the Washington Redskins, after brief stints with both the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals in 2017. Peterson currently ranks fifth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 14,216 yards – including a franchise record 11,747 yards with Minnesota. And recently per NFL Network (via Ethan Cadeaux of Yahoo! Sports), the 13-year pro has his eye on Barry Sanders (15,269) and the fourth spot.

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