Adrian Peterson rumors: Odds favor Buccaneers, Chiefs, Giants

The latest odds from Bovada are out and the favorite teams to land the newly released Adrian Peterson are the Buccaneers, Chiefs, Giants and Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings announced that running back Adrian Peterson is now a free agent after the team officially declined his contract option for 2017. The longtime Vikings star has never played for another team, but it’s clear that he will have to find a new home for next year and the odds favor the Kansas City Chiefs among a handful of teams.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the favorites to land Peterson and have plenty of cap space to reward him with a solid deal. Peterson isn’t likely to become rich at this point, given that he only appeared in three games last season. Peterson, who will soon turn 32, is trying to return from a knee injury and only carried the ball 6 times after the month of September. He has also missed the bulk of two of the last three seasons.

Still, Peterson is a Hall of Fame running back who exhibited plenty left in the tank in 2015 when he led the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Chiefs running game fell off last season as Spencer Ware showcased that is not a lead back. John Dorsey will undoubtedly search for a lead back with whom Ware can play in tandem. Will it be Peterson? The odds seem to say it’s a real possibility.

However, the Chiefs financial situation is another thing entirely. After signing Eric Berry to a reported long-term extension on the way as well as paying Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in a new extension, the Chiefs hardly have the luxury of paying an injured and aging running back to replace the one they just released in Jamaal Charles. Maybe they could convince AP to play on a team-friendly deal for the sake of winning, but there are likely teams better suited for that — perhaps New England who lost LeGarrette Blount to free agency.