Yes, Adrian Peterson remains the hottest news surrounding the Vikings. But as a distraction within the walls at Winter Park, it sounds like this one died of old age a while ago since Peterson hasn't played since Week 1.

"Not really much has changed," coach Mike Zimmer said earlier today when asked for his reaction to Tuesday's news that Peterson had been suspended by the league for the rest of the season for injuries he caused his 4-year-old son when he chose to use a wooden switch to beat him as a form of discipline.

"I still say exactly what I said before. I support him and his family. He was great with me. But other than that, our focus is on Green Bay and we got to move forward. That's just the way life is."

Asked if he had held out hope that Peterson would return this season, Zimmer said, "We've kind of taken this one day at a time as it's gone. So we just go with the cards we're dealt. I know we made the statement yesterday, so we'll kind of stick with that mantra."

Zimmer also sounded like it wasn't all that difficult for players to stay focused. Except, of course, when reporters are asking about staying focused.

"Inside the locker room, when they watch the Packers and they watch the things they do offensively and defensively and returning punts and scoring on defense and things like that, they get your attention pretty quick," Zimmer said. "This team has been through a lot of things this year. I think for the most part they've stayed focused very well. So I think that we just keep pounding the message about what we're trying to do here and trying to accomplish as the kind of football team and organization. The overriding message just keeps going on and on."

Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had little to say when asked for his reaction.

"Adrian is a great guy," Bridgewater said. "We just have to continue to play without him. We would love to have him, but that's out of our hands."

Asked if he'd be ready to become the person that reporters like to call (pause for dramatic effect) "The FACE of the franchise," Bridgewater didn't try to hide.

"I can tell you that I'll embrace the role," he said. "We have a group of guys here who have established themselves in the league. I know that for me it's not all about me. We have 52 other guys active on this roster and also the practice squad guys who contribute to our success as a team. I'll embrace the role, but I know it's not all about me.

"We have other playmakers on this team. Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Jerick McKinnon. And you talk about the defensive side of the ball with Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Chad Greenway and those guys. This entire team plays a role in our success."

It's possible that Bridgewater has played his last game with Peterson. How will he be remembered?

"Adrian was a great mentor to me throughout OTAs and training camp," Bridgewater said. " There were times in training camp when I would get down on myself because I may have had a bad practice or didn't like this throw or that throw. He would always come up to me and say, hey, you're not going to be perfect. You can't control what everybody is saying about you. You can't control every throw. You have to trust yourself and play football. Hearing that from Adrian, that meant a lot because he's established himself in this league and is one of the great, best running backs to play this game."

Zimmer was told that Bridgewater says he's cool with the whole face of the franchise thing.

"I'll be glad to let him do it instead of me," Zimmer joked. "He will be ready. It's hard for a young guy when you first come in and start playing in the middle of the year. But I believe he will be the face of the franchise and he can do all of these press conferences from now on. I would be ecstatic to let him do them."