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The NFL announced on Thursday that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be reinstated effective Friday, April 17. Here's the text of the NFL's release on the subject:

Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was advised today that effective tomorrow he is
reinstated as an active NFL player and may participate in all scheduled activities with the Vikings.

In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell, Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors.

Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies. Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL.

Peterson was suspended without pay last November 18 for the remainder of the 2014 NFL season for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy in an incident of abusive discipline that he inflicted on his four-year-old son last May. Peterson pled no contest on November 4 in state court in Montgomery County, Texas to reckless assault of the child.

It's worth asking what "remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas" Peterson has, but it's certainly a good thing that the NFL has mandated that Peterson maintain "an ongoing program of of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors."

As for Peterson the football player, it's hard to say what will happen with him next. The running back and his agent have made noise about not wanting to continue on with Minnesota, but the Vikings have also made it clear that he is under contract with them, they won't cut him, and they expect him to play for the team next season. They released a statement in the wake of Peterson's reinstatement that read, in part, "We look forward to Adrian re-joining the Vikings."

Adrian Peterson is back in the NFL effective Friday. (Getty Images)

Peterson himself reportedly told the Vikings that he wants to play for the Dallas Cowboys. This is not remotely a new story, as Peterson reportedly told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that he wanted to play for the team last offseason. The Cowboys, though, supposedly will not enter the Peterson sweepstakes. That news came out before Peterson was reinstated, though, so it could change now that he's officially back in the league.

It still seems unlikely that AP winds up in Dallas for a number of reasons (no matter how much Jerry Jones likes shiny new toys), most of them having to do with his large salary. The Cowboys let DeMarco Murray leave for the Eagles this offseason mostly due to financial concerns, and Murray's deal only averaged $8 million per season. Peterson's contract still has nearly $59 million in cap hits remaining over the next four years, per Spotrac, significantly more than it would have cost Dallas to retain Murray, and Dallas would have control of Peterson for one fewer year.

Despite the recent restructuring of Tyron Smith and Tony Romo's contracts, the Cowboys don't really have the room to fit Peterson's salary on their books, either. They have just over $7 million in cap space for 2015 after those restructures, but they need to fit defensive end Greg Hardy's possible incentives under the cap by the end of the season. Those incentives could total up to approximately $8 million if he plays every game and reaches certain sack totals. Designating cornerback Brandon Carr as a post-June 1 release would open up an additional $8 million, but the Boys also have to account for their cap money for their draft picks and Rolando McClain's incentives, and cutting Carr would leave them woefully thin at corner.

There's also the fact that Dallas' offensive line, arguably the best in the league, should allow them to plug-and-play any number of running backs and still come away with good production. They're not likely to get Murray-level numbers from any of the backs on the current roster -- Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams, Darren McFadden -- but if they select one of the running backs in this deep draft class, they could be just fine in the running game that became the foundation of their offense last season.

The Cardinals have also been floated as a possible Peterson destination, and they have a bit more financial maneuverability than the Cowboys to create additional cap space by restructuring some of their larger contracts. They also have a bigger need at the position, and they could be looking to add a bit of a power complement to the speed-based game they get from the incumbent Andre Ellington, who got injured last season when tasked with a larger workload. Arizona doesn't have a dominant offensive line like Dallas, so AP's ability to make something out of nothing would be much more valuable to their offense than it would to the Cowboys.

Draft day could bring movement on the Peterson front, especially as we get into day two and three, as a middle-round pick has typically been the cost associated with a possible trade. As running backs start flying off the board, Dallas, Arizona or even some other team could be motivated to move a pick to the Vikings in exchange for AP's services. Failing a deal, Peterson could either report to Vikings camp or decide to hold out.