Adrian Peterson’s agent takes different angle in relationship with Vikings
It’s pretty clear that Adrian Peterson is going to play for the Minnesota Vikings or sit on his couch this fall. Peterson’s agent knows it too.
The first round of the NFL draft came and went without Peterson being dealt, which wasn’t a major surprise. Unless the Vikings sell low when they don’t have to or someone gets really creative, the Peterson trade talk speculation is over. He’ll be a Viking in 2015.
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Ben Dogra, who has made a bit of a spectacle of himself as the Peterson saga has played out this offseason, now is very impressed that the Vikings didn’t trade Peterson (huh?) and just wants a new contract from the Vikings (ohhhhhh).
“One of the things that I appreciate with the Vikings is their resolve to say ‘we’re not trading him,'” Dogra told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “That tells me they value him not only as a football player, but what he’s done for the organization.
“I actually, as an agent, not only appreciate it — I accept it. But actions speak louder than words. If that’s going to happen, and you want to keep him, then show him a commitment to make him retire as a Viking. And I haven’t had that solution.”
I’m not an NFL player or an NFL agent, but I assume a certain NFL team would figure that cutting checks for Peterson to make a $12.75 million base salary this season is a pretty decent commitment. Why they’d need to tack on extra years to their 30-year-old running back to placate him seems odd. They gave Peterson an $86 million deal in 2011. They’ve shown a ton of commitment that way.
Peterson’s agent seems to be searching for something to bring to Peterson to claim victory, but he still hasn’t generated much leverage. All Peterson can do is sit out, and it’s really hard to believe he’d pass up that paycheck at age 30.
Peterson will be playing with the Vikings this year, it appears. One would assume he’ll be doing so with the same great contract he already had. There doesn’t seem to be a good reason for any of that to change.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
