Tucked at the bottom of Sid Hartman’s article regarding Vikings coach Mike Zimmer’s preference for a larger Teddy Bridgewater in 2015 is a fairly small quote regarding Zimmer’s views on running back Adrian Peterson.
“Well Adrian is under contract with us and we’re excited to get him back here with his teammates and get him back playing,” Zimmer said.
It’s believed that Peterson would like to be under contract with a different team, and that Peterson hopes a trade will be made at the league meetings in Arizona. In two different appearances this year on PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, Zimmer said that if Peterson definitely wants out of Minnesota, the team would accommodate him.
The process of accommodating Peterson could indeed unfold in Arizona, with the Vikings finding a trade partner (perhaps the Cardinals) and moving Peterson, who turned 30 on Saturday. Or perhaps Zimmer has been overruled by the folks who write the checks. Absent a trade package reflecting Peterson’s actual value to the Vikings, why should the Wilfs say anything other than “play for us or play for no one”?
Meanwhile, it’ll be interesting to see whether Zimmer reiterates his position that, if Peterson wants out, he’ll get what he wants. It could be that, before Zimmer is ever asked that question again by the media, a trade will be worked out.