As free agency dies down, the future of Adrian Peterson looks more and more likely to remain in Minnesota. We know this much: The Vikings will not cut him.
Vikings brass informed Peterson's agent Ben Dogra Wednesday that they will not cut Peterson, Dogra told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. This news is not a surprise -- we previously outlined the reasons why the Vikings would not cut Peterson -- but it's an important step in the process.
At this point, there have been no public demands of a release or a trade. Peterson could make life uncomfortable for the Vikings by asking to leave, but there are plenty of reasons to believe he'll wind up staying in Minnesota. The Vikings are clearly comfortable paying Peterson his $12.75 million salary in 2015, which makes him the game's highest paid running back. Minnesota wants to win in 2015, and getting rid of Peterson isn't going to help them.
Peterson welcomed Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman into his home earlier this month, which is a strong sign the two sides could work something out. Giving Peterson a restructured contract with more guaranteed money would be one way to get him back in the fold. While teams like the Arizona Cardinals could have interest in Peterson, it's unclear if they would pay him as much money as the Vikings.
The most likely outcome is that Peterson stays with the Vikings. The only way to get him out of Minnesota will be with a big draft pick and a big contract.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast makes some bold free agency predictions and discusses Adrian Peterson's future. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
