Everyone knew it was going to happen, but it is now official. The Vikings have declined the running back's 2017 option, and Peterson is now set to become a free agent on March 9th.

Peterson was due $18 million this season, including a $6 million roster bonus, if he was on the roster on March 11th.

Now that it is official, Peterson will most likely wait until he is a free agent to discuss his contract. He will want to see what his value is on the open market before he comes back to the Vikings to negotiate. This by no means says Peterson will never wear a Vikings uniform again. It is all apart of the process for the Vikings and Peterson.

In his career, Peterson ranks first in Vikings history with 97 rushing touchdowns, 11,747 rushing yards and 2,418 rushes. Peterson has been a staple in Minnesota since he was drafted by the Vikings with the 7th pick in the 2007 draft.

Do you hope the Vikings bring back Peterson, or do you want them to move on? Peterson has already mentioned several teams that he would be willing to play for if the Vikings didn't welcome him back. That list includes the Giants, Buccaneers and the Texans.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this, but essentially, Peterson is about to hit the open market for the first time in his career, and anything can happen.

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