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Adrian Peterson’s goal for 2015: 2,500 rushing yards

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson smiles during a team mini camp session in Eden Prairie, Minn., on June 18.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson smiles during a team mini camp session in Eden Prairie, Minn., on June 18.

(Ann Heisenfelt / Associated Press)
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A restructured contract in his back pocket, Adrian Peterson is feeling pretty confident for a guy who played in just one game last season.

Peterson is pretty optimistic about where he’ll stand in the hierarchy of great running backs once he calls it a career, so it only makes sense the Minnesota Vikings star is just as ambitious about his in-season aspirations.

In an interview with the Vikings’ team website, Peterson said Saturday he’s aiming to rush for 2,500 yards this season.

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“I always keep the mark at 25 [2,500], so if I get close to that, that’s not bad,” Peterson said.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Peterson has stated he wants to eclipse the 2,500-yard mark. He said in January 2013 that he wanted to “make it to the 2,500-yard club” -- a club that would consist entirely of just himself if he ever made it.

Although one can appreciate Peterson setting the bar high for himself, it seems highly unlikely he will ever get close to rushing for 2,500 yards in a season. In 2012, he rushed for 2,097 yards to finish nine yards short of beating Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105.

Peterson, 30, was limited to one game last season following his indictment on child-abuse charges. After pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge, he was suspended for the remainder of the season by the NFL. He was reinstated by the league in April.

It remains to be seen if Peterson is up to the challenge of toppling NFL greats Dickerson and Emmitt Smith from the record books.

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