Dallas Cowboys fans may soon have Adrian Peterson to root for, new rumors indicate.
The All-Pro Minnesota Vikings running back has reportedly spoken with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the possibility of heading to Dallas when his tenure in Minnesota comes to an end. An E SPN Outside the Lines report found that Peterson and Jones spoke by phone back in June about the possibility.
ESPN writer Don Van Natta Jr. was actually with Jones conducting a profile interview when Adrian Peterson called.
From ESPN :
“As for the Peterson call, Van Natta was in Jones’ suite at AT&T Stadium when a friend of Jones’ handed the phone to him. Peterson had talked first to a Morgan Stanley money manager who had attended George Strait’s final concert on June 7 at AT&T Stadium. After the concert, Jones and several others remained in the suite; Peterson talked with the man, who handed the phone to Jones without saying who was on the line.
“‘Well, we’ll see what we can do, if we can make that happen,’ Jones, who is also the Cowboys’ general manager, told Peterson. ‘Hmm hmm… I’d like that, too… Well, we’re talking pig Latin here, but let’s see if we can do that… We’re talking pig Latin here, but let’s see what we can do about that. OK, Adrian, thanks.’”
The 29-year-old Peterson is in the fourth year of a seven-year, $100 million contract and due to make $11.75 million this fall. But there have been rumors that the Vikings are looking to trade Peterson as part of a larger rebuild.
Adrian Peterson addressed the trade rumors back in November, saying he believes the Vikings have “the right pieces” to turn into a contender.
“I understand that,” Peterson said about the trade rumors, via the Pioneer Press . “I know this is a business and things like that happen. So if it happens, it happens. There’s not much I can’t handle. I’m sure someone will welcome me with open arms if they do decide to trade me. … But it’s a business, so if they trade me, then, hey.”
After the Dallas Cowboys rumors emerged on Thursday, Adrian Peterson said he has no intentions of leaving the Minnesota Vikings.
“This was a casual conversation between NFL colleagues in which I never indicated I wanted to leave the Vikings,” the statement said. “I have always said I understand the NFL is a business but that I would love to retire as a Viking.”
The Vikings said in a statement, “We are focused on the 2014 season, and as we have consistently communicated, Adrian is an integral part of the Vikings organization.”
But Adrian Peterson has admitted that he has considered playing in Dallas in the past. In December, he told ESPN Radio’s Ryen Russillo that the thought of playing back in his home state had “crossed his mind.” Peterson was born in Palestine, about 100 miles away from Dallas.