Peterson praises Bridgewater: 'When I look in his eyes, I see greatness'

Teddy Bridgewater appears to have earned the full confidence of the future Hall of Famer with whom he shares the offensive backfield in Minnesota.

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, now preparing for a second full season working alongside the young signal-caller, believes Bridgewater has everything he needs to succeed.

"When I look in his eyes, I see greatness," Peterson told Ben Goessling of ESPN. "I see a young man who’s - even now, he's matured more, and he wants to be great. He has that leadership, he has that leader inside him and it's coming out even more. He just has a good spirit. He has a good soul, a good spirit. And when you combine that with talent, and the mindset that he has, greatness will come out."

Bridgewater was a reliable presence under center in his second season after joining the Vikings as a first-round pick. Leading the way to an NFC North title, the 23-year-old completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,231, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Improving upon the yardage and scoring production - all while maintaining his impressive level of efficiency - would go a long way toward Minnesota's chances of taking the next step in becoming a Super Bowl contender.

Working in Bridgewater's favor, of course, is the luxury of handing the ball to one of the most dominant running backs the NFL's ever seen. Peterson showed no signs of slowing down in his age-30 season, leading the league with 1,485 rushing yards and adding 11 touchdowns on 327 carries.