Adrian Peterson says 'boring' offseason work could lead to retirement

Dec 10, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) looks on after leasing 23-20 to the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is entering his 10th season in the NFL, so he's become familiar with the ins and outs of the offseason grind. That doesn't mean he's a fan of it, though. In fact, he gets bored of going through drills, meetings and practices during OTAs and training camp.

He knows he has several good years ahead of him, but determining just how many will come down to his ability to get through the offseason year after year.

"That's it," Peterson told ESPN. "Training camp, going through the grind, OTAs and all that -- that will definitely be the deciding factor. Physically, body-wise, I'll be good. It's just mentally -- like with OTAs, I'm out there practicing, I'm going, I'm putting in work. But it's so repetitive that it's more suited toward the young guys and getting them into the system. It gets kind of boring."

At 31 years old and having gone through the process nine-plus times already -- especially as a running back -- it's easy to see why Peterson might be tired of doing drills and attending meetings. And it's particularly noteworthy because of the fact that he had his best season ever following an offseason where he did very little work while recovering from a torn ACL. He'd much rather work out on his own than go through practices on a daily basis.

"Think about this: The 2012 season, I didn't do any training camp. But I was over there on the side, working out. You get that extra month of working out? Come on, man," he said. "I would much rather not participate in training camp and work out, just to have more of an edge. Training camp, you're going out there, you're playing football, you're going to lift, and after that, you don't want to do anything. You're tired, from meetings and all that."

Peterson is the type of veteran and athlete that doesn't necessarily need to participate fully in each day's practice. He's arguably the best running back in the league and has been for some time despite being forced to come back from a torn ACL. Don't be surprised if he's excused from some team activities in training camp next month.