Vikings GM Rick Speilman joined Pro Football Talk on Thursday to discuss the team’s current state and where things are going following a recent head coaching chance.
Mike Florio asked Spielman if he’s considered possibly trading RB Adrian Peterson.
“Adrian is not going anywhere,” Spielman said, via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “We have him under contract. He’s the face of our franchise. He is a blue-chip player. And we have a new coaching staff in place, and (the Vikings are) very excited about what’s coming ahead for us.”
The idea of trading Peterson has been floated in the past given that Minnesota continues their rebuilding process and we’re talking about a running back who is getting closer to entering his thirties. Peterson himself mentioned that he could see himself finishing his career in Texas for either the Cowboys or Texans.
Peterson, 28, signed a record seven-year, $100 million contract that included $32 million guaranteed. Peterson’s cap figures will increase quite dramatically from 2015 – 2017, so there is a chance he could be approached regarding a restructured contract in the next few years.
On top of that, Peterson underwent groin surgery on Thursday and suffered a major knee injury a few years ago. Although, no one has come back from that type of injury at the level Peterson did in 2012.
“I never have any doubts in Adrian, and this was a minor procedure, and it was bothering him some,” Spielman said. “But this is something that he’ll fully recover from. And you never count Adrian out because he always has a chip on his shoulder.”
There is no question that Peterson remains their best player on both sides of the ball and the face of the franchise, as Spielman said. Peterson has a shot to be one of the few NFL players who starts and finishes their careers with the same team.
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