EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – Adrian Peterson has spent the last five months sending vague and sometimes ambiguous messages about his desire or lack thereof to remain with the Minnesota Vikings.
Coach Mike Zimmer cut right to the chase on Wednesday when asked about the situation surrounding his disgruntled star running back.
“He’s really got two choices. He can either play for us or he cannot play,” Zimmer said on the second day of optional practices that Peterson skipped. “He’s not going to play for anybody else and that’s just the way it’s going to be.”
Peterson has skipped the optional portion of the Vikings’ offseason workouts many times in his career, but the circumstances surrounding his absence this time around are far different.
Peterson’s agents made it clear earlier in the offseason that their client would prefer to be traded because he didn’t feel like he got the necessary support from some members of the Vikings organization while he dealt with a child abuse charge in Texas last year. Peterson missed all but one game and ultimately pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor for striking his young son with a wooden switch.