Older, more patient Peterson now accepts carry-free preseasons

Through the first week of training camp, Adrian Peterson has looked like, well, Adrian Peterson.

He looks lean, quick, fast and, well, you know the drill.

As for that Peterson power, it's safe to assume that it's still there even though we don't have much to go on watching practices that come with orders from above not to hit No. 28.

Yes, there are five preseason games to evaluate. But the plan apparently doesn't include putting a certain 30-year-old running back in harm's way for games that don't matter, despite what the face value on the ticket stub says.

Peterson hasn't carried the ball in the preseason since 2011. He hasn't played in the preseason since a three-down series against San Francisco in the third preseason game in 2013. Those three downs included no contact for Peterson.

Peterson used to lobby for preseason carries. But he's older now. Seemingly wiser, too.

"I've been doing it for a long time now," Peterson said Saturday. "So I really grew out of trying to play in the preseason. It really doesn't matter. You might as well throw out all your marbles when it really counts."

"I am., but also with that being said, I'm being patient as well," he said. "I think I can wait until the first [regular season] game against the Niners" on Sept. 14.

Peterson does sound happy that his life in the national spotlight has returned to the field after a year in which he missed 15 games because of the ugly fallout from child abuse charges.

"It's a good feeling," he said. "It's relaxing. It's a different mindset going into it. The best thing has just been being around the fellas."

Next weekend, the Vikings will tour the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. They'll play the Steelers in the Hall of Fame game on Sunday night and also support former Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff, a member of the Hall's Class of 2015.