In the past 48 hours, Adrian Peterson got a clear-cut message from the Minnesota Vikings that they weren’t trading him. Then, the running back made it clear that he was not skipping OTAs in hopes of a trade, and he wanted things settled with the Vikings. Today, Peterson unleashed a long Twitter rant on the team and things seem shaky once again. Could he still end up traded to the Dallas Cowboys or elsewhere?
As ESPN reported, Peterson went off saying that NFL players should have the same kind of fully guaranteed contracts that the players in other professional sports have. He went on a tirade in 11 tweets saying that teams have too much leverage over players.
“I know hundreds of player’s that wished their team would’ve HONORED the contract! But instead got threw to the side like trash,” Peterson tweeted. “A lill crazy how one side has so much power that they can do as they please when it come to the contract! But when the other-side (player’s) Feels for whatever reason! Family, Change of scenery or simply – what they feels just might work best for them! Those same laws don’t apply!”
Soon after, he made it a point of which team he plays for and said that he was saying it “as a Minnesota Viking player” and wants the “same power to do as all 32 teams do.”
As the day went on, there was a lot of speculation that Peterson was once again unhappy with his standing in Minnesota. Rumors have persisted for months that he wanted out and was looking to be traded somewhere such as Dallas or Arizona or elsewhere.
Once word got out that rumors were flying again, Peterson clarified the situation a bit.
“This is nothing against the Vikings. I am just frustrated that our union did not get guaranteed contracts for its players.”
NFL.com states that the Vikings are fully intent on paying Adrian Peterson his full 2015 salary of $12.75 million. His concern appears to be with 2016 as he has no more guaranteed money in his contract and wants financial assurance past this year.
His current deal runs through 2017 and he would make $15 million in 2016 and $16 million in 2017. Should the Vikings choose to release him though, they would suffer no penalty since there is no more guaranteed money owed to him.
NFL players deserve guaranteed contacts like Our NBA and MLB brothers.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
Peterson skipping OTAs means that he is likely going to miss out on a $250,000 workout bonus.
His staying away from the workouts, even though voluntary for most veterans, started up rumors that he was holding out for a trade. The Dallas Cowboys have long been named in rumors of attempting to trade for Peterson if the Vikings ever put him on the block.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer kind of squashed that saying Peterson “can play for us or not play.” Still, many in Dallas hope that the All-Pro running back would one day be on the field with a star on his helmet.
The Dallas Cowboys have Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle on their roster, and there are a number of other running back options out there for them. Despite what the rumors say, it seems as if Adrian Peterson playing for Dallas is not in the cards for 2015.
[Image via Vibe]