Adrian Peterson will play in 2014, his final season in his 20s. With backup Toby Gerhart having bolted to Jacksonville as a free agent, it's not too early to be thinking about Peterson's eventual replacement.
For the immediate future, the Vikings at least need a runner to spell Peterson as they plan to decrease his carries under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
"He's getting to the point where you don't have to give him the ball 50 times a game for 16 games," said general manager Rick Spielman. "Adrian's the face of our franchise, but Norv has a history of having two backs to keep him fresh, because I think it's very important as you go through the season that they're still strong in Week 16 and they're still strong when you get into the playoffs."
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