Peterson says age won’t stop him

There’s little doubt in the minds of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson or his trainer James Cooper that the NFL’s reigning rushing champion can do it again this year at age 31 or play long enough to break Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record.

In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Peterson said he believes his body will hold up as long as he wants to play.

The determining factor in how long he plays, Peterson said, will be how much longer he wants to go through the tedium of NFL life.

When he is reminded how many times his old teammate Brett Favre seemed to come out of retirement right around a minicamp or training camp was over, Peterson joked, “I might have to try that.” How long can Adrian Peterson play? The running back is far from the first veteran to tire of training camp, but Peterson said his eyes were also opened during his suspension last season, when he had more time to be at home with his wife, Ashley, and his son, Adrian Jr.

Peterson was suspended by the NFL in November 2014 after an investigation into Peterson’s discipline of one of his children, which involved using a switch.

Peterson and Cooper said that after Peterson returned from his suspension to lead the NFL in rushing at age 30, that age won’t erode the seven-time Pro Bowler’s skills.