Adrian Peterson isn’t officially reinstated yet because the NFL can’t just let be the past be the past, but after a judge ruled the league overstepped their bounds in suspending him last year, it’s only a matter of time before he’s active again. With that in mind, it’s about time for the Minnesota Vikings (and Peterson) to start thinking about 2015 and beyond. With Peterson owed a hefty chunk of change and counting almost $15 million against Minnesota’s 2015 cap, it’s fairly likely Minnesota would be open to trading or flat-out cutting him. Given the lack of public support the Vikings have laid behind Peterson over the past year, it’s fair to say he wouldn’t have a problem with that.

Adrian Peterson’s dad recently said that his son could still finish his career with the Vikings, but that several teams are rumored to be interested in him. There are three teams, to be exact, that Peterson Sr. mentioned, while there could easily be others motivated to land Peterson. Whether it’s via trade or signing Peterson after he’s released, the following five teams are strong candidates to pay Peterson big bucks to start for them in 2015:

Dallas Cowboys

This shouldn’t shock anyone, as the Peterson to Dallas rumors have been alive ever since last summer, when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly had a phone conversation with Peterson about playing for Dallas. Their conversation wasn’t taken very seriously, but with DeMarco Murray scheduled to hit free agency, it sure is now. Peterson would answer the ‘Boys’ running back problem and even at 30 years old could carry the full load and help the Cowboys make a deep playoff push in 2015.

Indianapolis Colts

Indy is the second team mentioned by Adrian Peterson’s dad, and they make a ton of sense. Not only do they play indoors and have an elite young quarterback guiding their offense, but they also have zero running backs worth mentioning. Trent Richardson has been a bust on every front and both Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard are never healthy. Peterson could slide right into a huge role and balance out an offense that already is among the league’s best.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona is the third team said to be interested, which makes sense considering they appear to have all of the necessary pieces to make a deep playoff run. Peterson might not love their shaky offensive line or that Carson Palmer is coming off a torn ACL, but they have an elite defense and started 9-1 last year before Palmer shredded his knee. Andre Ellington wouldn’t love it, but Peterson to Arizona could gain some steam.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons aren’t exactly in the mix for Peterson yet, but I’m putting them in that grouping. They haven’t had a quality running game since Michael Turner and they just cut Steven Jackson. They still don’t have a great defense and their o-line can be shaky, but adding an elite rusher could change things considerably. If Peterson views them as a legit contender, he might not hate playing with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White.

New England Patriots

Last, but certainly not least, could be the Patriots. Both Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley could be gone via free agency and LeGarrette Blount isn’t so amazing that New England wouldn’t jump at an obvious upgrade. Peterson would be just that, while Pats head coach Bill Belichick usually doesn’t shy away from an aging superstar. Peterson knows the Pats are built to win after claiming their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history last year, so he’d have to at least consider the move.

There are a lot of moving pieces involved in all of the Adrian Peterson rumors, and it’s possible he doesn’t even leave Minnesota still. I think he’s as good as gone, though, and since the Cowboys have been the team at the top of the list before last season even begin, I think that’s ultimately where Peterson goes. If that’s the case, a Cowboys teams that was a very solid 12-4 team a year ago would suddenly be legit Super Bowl contenders – if not flat-out favorites by many.