Adrian Peterson - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Adrian Peterson

June 2nd, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

3:07pm: Speaking to reporters today in Minnesota, Zimmer said that the Vikings had no conversations about trading Peterson this offseason (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). The former MVP himself also addressed the media. Here are a few highlights from his comments:

Asked about his reported desire for a trade or to retire, and comments made by agent Ben Dogra, Peterson said Dogra was “doing his job” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). For his part, Peterson insists he didn’t know what he wanted, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
While he may not have known where he wanted to be earlier in the offseason, Peterson says he’s happy now being in Minnesota and being a Vikings, per Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
“I’m definitely not the victim, and I haven’t tried to play the victim in this role,” Peterson said (Twitter link via Goessling). Some of his comments and actions earlier in the offseason make that a dubious statement.
Peterson confirmed that Zimmer played a major role in getting him back to Minnesota. “Maybe even moreso than he knows,” the running back said (Twitter link via Vensel).

2:25pm: As we learned this morning that he would, Adrian Peterson returned to Minnesota and reported to the Vikings’ OTAs today for the first time this spring. At the time, reports indicated that, even though the running back was willing to get back on the field for the Vikes, his contract hadn’t been modified at all, and the two sides hadn’t even recently discussed a restructured deal.

Here are the latest updates on that contract situation, along with a note on Peterson’s participation in the club’s offseason program:

A league source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Peterson hasn’t been given any assurances about his contract. However, Goessling expects something to eventually get done.
Peterson’s attendance today won’t be a one-time thing — the 30-year-old will be at the rest of the club’s OTAs and the June minicamp, tweets Goessling. I expect Peterson to report to training camp as well, though perhaps that could hinge on whether or not the two sides have worked out a contract agreement by that point.
Everything the Vikings have done with Peterson this offseason suggests they plan on keeping him around beyond the 2015 season, writes Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. As such, it makes sense for the team to address the running back’s contract soon to avoid having this same situation play out next year.

Adrian Peterson Reporting To OTAs

June 2nd, 2015 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

There will be an Adrian Peterson sighting in Minnesota, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who hears from the running back that he plans to rejoin the Vikings and attend the team’s OTAs, starting today. A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Peterson “misses the game.”

“I decided to come back just to get around my teammates and the coaching staff,” Peterson told Anderson (TwitLonger link). “There’s never been any love lost with those guys. Basically it’s time for me to come in and test the waters and re-familiarize myself with our offense and the direction they’re trying to go in.”

Peterson, who missed nearly the entire 2014 season due to an investigation into possible child abuse, had yet to report to the Vikings this spring. Initially, it seemed as though he and agent Ben Dogra were pushing hard for a trade out of Minnesota, but after the draft came out and went without a deal, the running back and his agent appeared to be angling for a new contract, one that featured more guaranteed salary.

While Peterson would presumably still like to rework his deal to get some additional guaranteed money up front – and perhaps guarantee some or all of his 2016 salary as well – that remains just a wish for now, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who tweets that there are no contract discussions taking place between the two sides at the moment. The 30-year-old is under contract for three more years, and is scheduled to earn a $12.75MM base salary this season.

Peterson’s contract did include a $250K workout bonus that he was only entitled to if he participated in all of Minnesota’s organized team activities, according to various reports. Although his absence from the first few OTAs meant Peterson forfeited that bonus, it’s possible the Vikings restore it as a show of good faith — that’s just my speculation, however.

According to both Albert Breer of NFL.com and Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter links), head coach Mike Zimmer played a significant role in mending fences with Peterson. The former MVP spoke to Anderson about his recent discussion with Zimmer (TwitLonger link):

“The conversation between Mike Zimmer and I went well. He was able to express what place [his comments that Peterson can “play for us or not play”] came from and I was able to listen. I was also able to express how I received that and we came to common ground about it. That was the end of it. I told him to tell the family I said hello and I’ll see you next week.”

Zimmer, Peterson Relationship Still Strong

May 31st, 2015 at 9:41am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer issued what was widely perceived as an ultimatum to his embattled star running back, Adrian Peterson. Zimmer said simply, “He can play for us, or he can not play.” That brief but strong statement succinctly summarized the stance that Minnesota has taken throughout the entire Peterson saga, and it made it appear that the relationship between coach and player had soured.

But according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, that could not be farther from the truth. As Goessling writes, “it’s believed Peterson and Zimmer talked this week and smoothed things over following the comment, which stemmed more from Zimmer’s fatigue over the topic than any effort to issue Peterson an ultimatum.” Goessling goes on to say that although Peterson still has some reservations about returning to the Vikings, including COO Kevin Warren‘s role in putting Peterson on the commissioner’s exempt list last year, his relationship with Zimmer remains an asset to the club.

In fact, Zimmer’s statement was hardly news to Peterson, who apparently realizes that he is not going to talk his way into a trade, even if there were teams that would be willing to make a deal for him. As such, and as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out several days ago, Peterson’s decision to skip OTAs is based solely on his desire to get the Vikings to put their money where their mouth is and to give him a salary guarantee that reflects their words of support.

In the end, Goessling believes Peterson will suit up for the Vikings in the fall, and even though there has not been much progress towards a new salary guarantee at this point, some sort of compromise appears well within the realm of possibility. After all, as we heard just yesterday, most of the Vikings’ moves these days are being made with an eye towards 2016, when they move into a new stadium. If the team didn’t have plans for Peterson to be on the roster during that season, they wouldn’t even be bothering with him.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Bucs, Vikings, Panthers, Cardinals

May 30th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with notes from the NFC…

Considering Benny Cunningham‘s role as a third-down blocker and kick returner, Nick Wagoner doesn’t believe it’s realistic for the Rams to pay Isaiah Pead just to be the fourth running back.
Pat Yasinskas wouldn’t be surprised if the Buccaneers and linebacker Lavonte David agree to a longterm extension prior to training camp. The writer guesses an annual value of about $8MM for the former second-round pick.
The Vikings and Adrian Peterson haven’t made any progress towards a restructured deal, according to Ben Goessling. The writer assumes that the organization would prefer to get Peterson in for a meeting before they sign him to a new deal. Goessling also notes that most of the team’s moves are with an eye towards 2016, when they move into a new stadium. If the team didn’t have plans for Peterson to be on the roster during that season, they wouldn’t be “bothering” with this current back-and-forth.
If the Panthers offense struggles in 2015, David Newton believes the blame will be attributed to offensive coordinator Mike Shula. However, the writer would caution declaring this a “make-or-break” season for Shula.
Unless Joe Webb can prove his value as a wideout or special-teams player, Newton has a tough time envisioning the quarterback making the Panthers roster.
The competition for the Cardinals third quarterback job is Logan Thomas‘ to lose, says Josh Weinfuss. Phillip Sims or Chandler Harnish could ultimately prove to be better options, but Weinfuss believes the competition is coach Bruce Arians‘ way of motivating Thomas.

Vikings Did Not Ask Peterson To Take Pay Cut

May 28th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

7:00pm: Peterson took to Twitter again to clarify his remarks. “This is not against the Vikings. I am just frustrated that our union did not get guaranteed contracts for its players,” AD tweeted.

6:27pm: A source close to Peterson told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) that the running back was arguing for guaranteed contracts and not attacking the Vikings. According to the source (link), he was “referring to guys like [Greg] Jennings and other players [who are] cut [or] released if they do not take a pay cut.”

5:44pm: Someone close to Adrian Peterson told Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (on Twitter) that the Vikings haven’t brought up the idea of a pay cut with the running back. Peterson took to Twitter to rant a bit today and some got the impression that Minnesota was seeking a salary adjustment.

“Question for the people, is a contract two sided or one?,” Peterson rhetorically asked his followers. “Ok great two sided! Well why [is it that] when one party decides … we [want] you to take a pay cut now or better yet flat out release you, there’s never no talk about honoring a contract?”

Peterson is entering his age-30 season and is slated to be the NFL’s highest paid running back. He’s scheduled to earn a great deal of money over the next three years, but Peterson is ostensibly perturbed because none of that money is guaranteed. As Luke Adams of PFR wrote earlier today, it’s hard to empathize with Peterson when you take everything into account.

On Wednesday, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report heard from a league source that Peterson is unlikely to skip the entirety of the Vikings’ voluntary workouts. If AD shows up for work next week, he can still collect on his $250K workout bonus, so it would behoove him to do so. Later that day, Peterson released a statement to try and clarify his position.

“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.”

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Bennett, Lions

May 28th, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after releasing a statement indicating that he doesn’t want to be traded and that his absence from OTAs is simply about securing his future with the Vikings, Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to rant about NFL contracts. While many of the running back’s broader points – involving the lack of agency players have compared to teams when it comes to getting out of contracts – are accurate, it’s difficult to have any sympathy for Peterson, given the circumstances.

Peterson, after all, is poised to enter his age-30 season as the NFL’s highest-paid running back, and the Vikings appear entirely willing to pay him that $12.75MM salary rather than asking him to reduce it, despite the fact that the 30-year-old was investigated for child abuse last year. While many players could rightly gripe about teams failing to honor contracts, the rhetoric doesn’t sound very effective coming from Peterson right now.

Let’s check out a few more items from across the NFC North….

Michael Johnson took a free agent visit to Minnesota to meet with the Vikings before he decided to return to Cincinnati this offseason. As Johnson told SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), he didn’t think he’d like Minnesota, but he did — he simply preferred to “go home” instead of signing with the Vikes.
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett continues to be absent from Chicago’s offseason program due to a contract dispute, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. A report last month suggested that Bennett wanted a new deal and that the Bears were considering trading him.
Lions president Tom Lewand spoke to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about the team’s increased focus on adding high-character players to its roster.

Latest On Adrian Peterson, Vikings

May 27th, 2015 at 9:00pm CST by Zachary Links

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.”

OTA Rumors: Peterson, Forte, A. Smith, Dez

May 27th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

With organized team activities getting underway this week, we’re keeping our eye on plenty of contract and roster situations around the NFL. Here are the latest updates on a few of those situations:

Addressing Adrian Peterson‘s absence from OTAs, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer issued another strong statement today, telling reporters – including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) – that the running back has two choices: “He can play for us or not play.” A report yesterday suggested that Peterson is actually considering that second option (retirement), though I noted at the time that it sounded like the 30-year-old’s camp trying to regain some leverage.
After saying last week that he thought he had an idea of when Peterson would report to the Vikings, Zimmer admitted today that he has no idea when that’ll happen, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
Matt Forte, who reportedly wants a new contract, is present at the Bears‘ OTAs, but said today that “nobody likes playing on a one-year deal” (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). As Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets, Forte added, “They said we’re not talking about that type of [contract] stuff right now, so all I can do is play football.”
Antonio Smith won’t participate in the Broncos‘ OTAs, as he continues to be investigated following a complaint of sexual child abuse, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Although Smith has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, the Broncos decided it would be “best for all involved” if the defensive lineman focuses on resolving his legal situation before reporting to the team.
As expected, Dez Bryant isn’t in attendance for the Cowboys‘ OTAs. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the club has been in communication with the wideout. Earlier today, I asked whether Bryant will sign a long-term extension with Dallas before the July 15 deadline, and so far more than half of you have indicated that won’t happen.

Latest On Adrian Peterson

May 26th, 2015 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Vikings’ organized team activities got underway today without Adrian Peterson, and the running back is prepared to forfeit his $250K workout bonus by not reporting to Minnesota’s OTAs. Unhappy with his current situation, Peterson has “ruminated on the possibility of retirement more than once” since last season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

The update from La Canfora appears to be the latest attempt by Peterson’s camp to regain some leverage in the running back’s standoff with the Vikings. The team has so far expressed a complete unwillingness to explore trade possibilities for Peterson, and at this point in the offseason, it’s not likely that there would be a long list of suitors anyway.

As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) observes, while renegotiating Peterson’s contract to guarantee some money is one tactic the Vikings could use to try to mend fences with their star running back, the 30-year-old’s primary goal is to play somewhere besides Minnesota. Still, no matter how strong Peterson’s desire is to move on, or how many rumors his camp leaks about a potential holdout or the possibility of retirement, the Vikes appear unlikely to change their stance, writes La Canfora.

Except for perhaps the Cowboys, no team currently looks like a reasonable trade partner for the Vikings, and it has always seemed like a long shot that any club would part with multiple top draft picks to land a 30-year-old running back set to earn a $12.75MM salary. Ultimately, as La Canfora outlines, the end game now is probably what it has been all along — the Vikes making some changes to Peterson’s contract, and perhaps restoring the bonuses that he’s currently in the process of forfeiting.

With Peterson and agent Ben Dogra digging their heels in, it may be a few weeks – or even months – before we find out how this situation will be resolved. However, this late in the offseason, it would be an unexpected twist if Peterson retired or was traded.

NFC North Notes: Ihedigbo, Peterson, Bears

May 26th, 2015 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the NFC North, as a handful of teams’ OTAs around the league get underway….

Safety James Ihedigbo, who is seeking a new contract, will report to the Lions‘ offseason workouts today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Birkett adds that Ihedigbo will be at the team’s OTAs and minicamp, presumably as a show of good faith as he attempts to work out a new deal.
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) clears up some misinformation about Adrian Peterson‘s contract with the Vikings, pointing out that the running back has to participate in the team’s entire OTA and minicamp programs to earn his $250K bonus — not just 90% of those activities, as has been reported elsewhere. Either way, it appears Peterson will forfeit that bonus money, as he did back in 2012 (Twitter link).
One reason the Bears were willing to roll the dice on Ray McDonald this offseason was the fact that he was a tremendous on-field fit for Vic Fangio‘s scheme, having played under the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. Now that McDonald is no longer in the mix in Chicago, the club will have to turn to Plan B. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com and John Mullin of CSNChicago.com examine what that backup plan might look like.