The Minnesota Vikings decided not to pick up the option on Adrian Peterson’s final contract year, which was due to pay him $18 million in 2017. This makes Peterson a free agent, which should make for some interesting stories in the coming days and weeks.
“Adrian is an important part of the Minnesota Vikings organization,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. “We will continue to have conversations with his representatives and leave our future options open while determining what is best for both parties moving forward.”
Spielman said just last week that Peterson would “always be a Minnesota Viking,” and it’s clear he would love to retain the running back, albeit at a lower cost.
This might not be easy, because Peterson himself had already made it clear there are certain teams he’d love to play for if Minnesota released him.
In 10 seasons with Minnesota, Peterson rushed for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. He’s been an elite running back since entering the NFL as a first-round rookie out of Oklahoma in 2007. However, he missed all but three games last year due to a knee injury, which certainly factored into this decision.