9:00pm: Peterson issued a statement to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). “The reason I’m not attending OTAs has nothing to do with wanting to be traded. It’s about securing my future with the Vikings. It’s business, not personal and I understand that firsthand. Go Vikings,” the running back said.
6:42pm: Adrian Peterson is unlikely to skip the entirety of the Vikings’ voluntary workouts, a league source tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. The working theory is that the star running back will show up at some juncture so that he doesn’t miss out on his $250K workout bonus.
Freeman writes that Peterson gets his bonus if he attends 90% of OTAs and minicamps, in which case he could still recoup that bonus if he shows up to the Vikings’ facility next week. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com indicated yesterday that that’s not accurate, and that the running back forfeits his bonus by not participating in all of the club’s OTAs. However, if Peterson does report to Minnesota this spring, the team could decide to restore that bonus in an effort to help mend fences.
One rival exec told Freeman that he believes Peterson is simply stomping his feet over the fact that the Vikings won’t trade him. “He’s sending a message to the Vikings,” the exec said. “‘I’ll rejoin the team when I’m good and ready.'”
Meanwhile, AD is texting with teammates and, apparently, he has given no indication that he wants to be moved. Furthermore, Freeman has heard no indication that Peterson is serious about his threat to retire if he doesn’t get what he wants. Even if the Vikings have a chance of heart, they’ll have a hard time finding a suitable deal. One GM said the market for AD is “almost nonexistent.”