For the last eight years, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been considered one of the truly elite halfbacks in the NFL.
In a league that has seen the role of the every-down bell cow running back gradually diminish over the last decade in favour of multiple back sets and third down specialists, coming into the 2014 season Peterson was considered the best of a dying breed.
To his credit, Peterson has done his best to prove that the lone back still has a role in the NFL. The $100 million dollar contract he signed in 2011 was backed up by an MVP season in 2012, and the team and player seemed inseparable.
Now, it’s looking like Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings are that couple that just needs to get it over and done with and break up already.
Of course, neither the player nor the team would be in this position they are in today if Peterson hadn’t made the horrifying decision to beat his son bloody with a switch (a stick). The act cost him 15 games last season and put him squarely in the sights of an NFL hip deep in another domestic abuse-related PR scandal.
What resulted was a lame back-and-forth between player, team, and organisation. Peterson was deactivated by the Vikings and put on the NFL’s exempt list (allowing him to still be paid for the year, mind you), and while he almost returned before the end of the season, the league controversially decided to suspend him for the remainder of 2014. A court judge reinstated Peterson to the exempt list late February, with the question of whether he can actually play this season still in the air.
That doesn’t mean Peterson and the team can’t communicate, and quite a lot has been said by both parties, even if both have come across as painfully passive aggressive.
After letting the team know that he does not wish to remain in Minnesota, Peterson reportedly requested he be allowed to leave the team in February. Despite being on the hook for $13 million dollars for a player who doesn’t even want to play for them, the Vikings told Peterson’s agent that he’s not going anywhere.
Neither parties at this point had made a public statement, but everybody knew there was trouble on at home. The situation soon entered the realm of absurdity when the news broke that his agent, Ben Dogra, declined a dinner invitation with the Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman.
Most recently, Peterson’s agent came out and stated that it was not “in the best interest of Adrian Peterson to play for the Minnesota Vikings”, and, more overtly, told USA Today that they “want out of Minnesota”.
The Vikings’ response was to simply remind everybody that Peterson is still by all accounts a member of the team, and that he is under contract.
Yep. This can’t end well.
The Vikings clearly want to keep the running back they paid $13 million dollars to touch the ball 23 times last year on the roster. But you have to wonder if they really should.
Never mind the fact that Peterson beat his child on the scrotum with a stick, something that I personally believe should see him never play another professional snap. He is a 30-year-old halfback with a nasty injury history that is due to earn around $46 million over the next three years. The NFL loved watching him come back from knee surgery to have a Hall-of-Fame calibre year, but there’s zero chance Peterson has another 350-plus touch season in him. That’s obvious.
Like all ageing NFL veterans, Peterson wants one final big contract, and at the very least he believes his current contract with the Vikings should include some more guaranteed money, something the team is loath to do. Finally, Peterson believes his team betrayed him when they (briefly) turned their backs on in him in 2014, so even if they got him back in a locker room, there’s always the danger of him being considered a distraction.
That said,he still has tremendous value to the team. Even if he lost his edge after almost a full year off (which might not be the case) Peterson would open up the field for second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, giving them a solid shot at the NFC North. Teams would be forced to respect him and stack the box, creating match-up opportunities for the quarterback.
There’s been sniffs of trade interest too. The Arizona Cardinals supposedly wanted to give up a first-round pick for him, although they’re keeping their mouths shut and the Dallas Cowboys have also been rumoured to like the Texas native a lot. However, trade options are complicated by the running back’s insistence that he continue to be paid a top-tier salary.
It likely doesn’t matter, as at this point the team has given zero indication that they are willing to move him. As stated by head coach Mike Zimmer most recently, they’re staying firm with their child-beating diva of a halfback.
It’s the principle of it! He had a contract!
So here we are with a clearly unhappy couple dancing around each other, too proud to step aside for the other. Peterson is set to make a ton of money if the stays, and the team is set to clean up if they move him, but neither wants to pull the trigger.
It’s kind of awkward, really. And as we get closer to the season, it’s only going to get worse. Will they? Won’t they? Ugh. Just get it over and done with, please.
Dominic Davies
Expert
There's some pretty compelling football reasons to want to keep him on the team. The Vikings believe they're ready for a playoff push. Not sure I buy it, but they're probably closer than most believe.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Surely it's best for both parties to 'break up'. Minnesota get a clean slate, and he gets a 'second chance' somewhere else.
joe
Guest
Minnesota will be happy to let him walk they're just & publicly claiming they want him back hoping to drive up the asking price.Unless there's a really stupid team out there (& theres a few who are really stupid),then I cant see anyone offering more than a 2nd rd draft pick for him.But thats still a decent return for a 30 yr old RB,in addition a lot of Peterson's salary will be wiped off the books for the Vikes in a trade.Getting rid of the extra millions they owe him is a huge benefit for their salary cap situation. Theres some decent RB's coming out in the draft,you can get one in the 2nd or 3rd rounds & pay them a fraction of what Peterson is owed. I'd be shocked if he's back it makes no sense financially for Minnesota to hang onto him.If you're able to A) trade his salary away & B) salvage even a 2nd round draft pick as well,those are smart business moves.
Chop
Roar Guru
It sounds like his problem is with a specific person within the organisation, at what point do you get rid of the administrator to keep the player? Harsh on the administrator but they don't win you games and Petersen will. If they do find a suitable trade (Arizona is apparently looking to offer a 1round draft pick) you're still well served by Cordarelle (sp)Patterson
Dominic Davies
Expert
I can't fault anything you're stated above, Ben. It's hard when a player of his caliber has this kind of falling out with this team. That said, I do wonder how different the situation would be if he wasn't an elite player. I believe he thinks his team betrayed him because of the way they worked with the NFL to get him on the exempt list. As you say, that actually allowed him to get paid. I guess he just wanted his team to fight for him more?
Ben Dunn
Roar Rookie
As a Minnesota fan, I’m torn. For the sake of the team’s success I want him to stay. But for the drama and circus that he has created, I want him gone! I definitely agree that having him in the backfield would aid Teddy dramatically. A two pronged attack of ground and air, with Mike Wallace now in the mix, would be amazing and great to watch. But to what end? To have AP constantly voicing his 'concerns' about not trusting the organisation etc? To say that he doesn't see his future there, and that his wife already wants to be somewhere else? The thing that sits the worst with me is that he said the organisation turned their back on him. When? When they continued to pay him? When they assisted with his counselling? When they DIDN'T fire him? I think he has to realise that every single team in the league would have done the same thing while the judicial process took its course. To think otherwise is naive at best. Just ask Ray Rice - it could be worse! Moving forward I find it hard to see how he would fit back into the locker room. He has already disrespected the organisation in my opinion by taking these matters to the media rather than handling them professionally, behind closed doors. How does Teddy comfortably hand off the ball to someone who clearly doesn't want to be there? That being said, I fail to see where the Vikes will get the value for him? There is no comparable RB available to do a swap with. There is no RB depth in the draft. But it's clearly the position that would be of greatest need if management decide to move on. And to be clear, I don't think the GM is silly enough to release him. It will be a trade if he does leave. You don't give up a future HOF'er for nothing in return. Personally I only want people in purple who want to be there. So in that case - see you later AP! Thanks for the memories and please keep your hands (Sticks) off your children!