Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson doesn't know how he feels about a return to the team that drafted him. In an interview with ESPN, Peterson said he was "still uneasy" about going back to the Vikings after his 2014 suspension, especially considering his feeling that the organization stood idly when it had the power to stick up for him.
Adrian Peterson unsure of Vikings return
The former league MVP said he felt betrayed by those he trusted in Minnesota and remains noncommittal about a potential reunion.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
“There were people (in the organization) that I trusted, who knew exactly what was said, that weren’t heard from.” in the decision-making process. “They weren’t able to do anything about it,” he said via Vikings reporter Bob Goessling.
After the Vikings worked jointly with the NFL to put him on the commissioner’s exempt list stemming from a Nov. 4 no contest plea to charges of reckless injury to his 4-year-old son, Peterson said he felt “ambushed” after the decision to suspend him for all but one game in the 2014 season. The former All-Pro finished with just 21 carries and one start while watching his team struggle and miss the playoffs with a 6-9 record.
Further complicating matters is the fact that Peterson is still under contract with the Vikings in the final season of a six-year, $86.2 million contract that will pay him $12.75 million in 2015. Minnesota has indicated it wants him back, but he remains in limbo as he and his family weigh their options.
“I know there are a lot of people in the organization who want me back, but then again, I know the ones who don’t. It’s a difficult transition, and it’s not just about me. I have a wife who was able to sit back and see how people in Minnesota said this and said that, how media in Minnesota took the head of the situation with my child, and were digging into things that weren’t even relevant.”
With hurt feelings involved, the situation becomes increasingly murky. When Peterson was last healthy, he finished with 1,266 rushing yards in 14 games in the 2013 season. In 2012, he earned MVP honors with a monstrous 2,097 yards and a 6.0 yards per carry.
From a football standpoint, adding a player of Peterson's caliber is a no-brainer for the Vikings. Second-year signal caller Teddy Bridgewater will need all the support he can get from his supporting cast and could benefit a great deal development-wise from a powerful running game.
For now, both sides are in a holding pattern as Peterson awaits potential reinstatement. That date could come as soon as April 15, which would be over a month removed from the start of free agency, but still before the draft. The coaching staff has Peterson’s support, but when it comes to the organization as a whole, he has mixed feelings.
See More:
