Vikings coach: We have no plans to trade Adrian Peterson

Gabrielle McMillen

Vikings coach: We have no plans to trade Adrian Peterson image

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made it very clear that the team intends to keep running back Adrian Peterson.

"I'm not going to speculate on what he wants or doesn't want," Zimmer told reporters, per ESPN.com. "Adrian's under contract for three more years with us, and that's why you sign those contracts. That's why you get these big bonuses, you know?"

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For clarity, the Vikings coach added, "We have no plans to trade Adrian."

Speculation about whether Peterson will stay or go has been rampant since a federal judge overturned his NFL suspension in February. Peterson is on the commissioner's exempt list as the league appeals the judge's ruling.

Peterson was suspended after pleading no contest last fall to a misdemeanor child abuse charge in Texas. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday at the NFL owners' meetings that he will rule on Peterson's status by April 15, the earliest Peterson could have been reinstated from the suspension.

Peterson reportedly is wary about staying with the Vikings, believing the organization didn't have his back while he was being investigated in the abuse case.

The sides still don't seem to be on the same page, with Peterson's camp reportedly rejecting a dinner meeting with Vikings officials last week.

In the meantime, Zimmer seems to be trying to butter Peterson up.

"I think when he goes into the Hall of Fame, he's going to want to go in with the jersey that everyone remembers him as," Zimmer said. "That will be as a Viking."

Gabrielle McMillen