The Minnesota Vikings are discussing a Jared Allen trade with several teams, but talks have not been substantive.

The Vikings are virtually out of playoff contention.

A trade of Allen would be difficult given his salary.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Seattle Seahawks were in discussions on Allen, but have decided not to actively pursue him.

Adrian Peterson's injured hamstring has impacted him both physically and mentally.

Peterson has only carried the ball 23 times over the past two games.

"They didn’t know anything about it until maybe like last week," said Peterson. "That’s when I really felt, OK, I’m starting to feel something now that could slow me down a little bit. I really didn’t say anything to those guys until like last week. Just told them there’s tightness. It’s more so when I run, I was kind of hesitant to stretch out and really stretch the hamstring, thinking that I was going to pull [it]. So that’s how I kind of had it in my mind. But that had nothing to do with the coaches decisions."

Christian Ponder will start at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings this week if Josh Freeman is not cleared from his concussion on Monday.

Leslie Frazier said that the Vikings are preparing for the game with the expectation that Freeman will not be available.

“It's frustrating,” Freeman said after his debut. “It's disappointing. But at the same time I see areas that are manageable in terms of us definitely getting better. We're going to develop that chemistry. A lot of these plays that are just a hair off, they'll start hitting for us.”

Adrian Peterson is likely to play on Monday as the Minnesota Vikings travel to play the New York Giants despite a hamstring injury.

Peterson missed practice on Friday, but was back on Saturday and is listed as probable.

"He practiced well today," Leslie Frazier said. "That was encouraging." 

The notion that the Minnesota Vikings should consider trading away Adrian Peterson by a local columnist has elicited several strong reactions.

Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press suggested that the Vikings should consider trading away Peterson for several draft picks before he begins to decline.

It is unlikely that any team would trade for a running back of Peterson's age in a way that resembles what the Vikings sent to the Dallas Cowboys for Herschel Walker.

"I don't think that would be a very smart move, to say the least," Jared Allen said. "I'm glad I'm not the GM having to make decisions, but I think if Adrian wasn't a Viking, I think maybe this state might revolt. Adrian's a phenomenal player, and you understand people write stuff like that. If I was a betting man, I'd put my money that Adrian isn't going anywhere."

Adrian Peterson learned just two months ago that he was the father of his recently deceased two-year-old son.

Peterson's son was allegedly beaten to death by Joey Patterson.

Peterson missed practice last week to attend to his son in the hospital.

The Minnesota Vikings will start Josh Freeman in Week 7 against the New York Giants if he can learn the playbook in time.

The Vikings will start Christian Ponder instead of Freeman if his grasp of the playbook isn't satisfactory.

Matt Cassel started last week in the Vikings' loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Desmond Bishop is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Bishop was starting for the Minnesota Vikings for the first time in Week 6.

Adrian Peterson is expected to play against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 just two days after the passing of his two-year-old son.

"There's no doubt he's going to play," a source said. "It's not going to happen where Adrian Peterson is not going to suit up for that game."

Peterson's son died from injuries sustained during an alleged aggravated assault.

Joseph Patterson, 27, was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated battery in the child's death.

Adrian Peterson's two-year-old son passed away on Friday from injuries suffered after allegedly being beaten by Joseph Patterson.

Patterson is being held on two felony counts of aggravated battery of an infant.

Patterson is the boyfriend of the boy's mother and was left alone with him during the time of the incident.

"Thank you to my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support," said Peterson in a statement on Twitter.