Vikings' Adrian Peterson 'uneasy' about returning to the team
Several members of the Minnesota Vikings front office have voiced their support recently about Adrian Peterson returning to the team, but the feeling may not be mutual.
Peterson said he is "still uneasy" about returning to the Vikings in 2015, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.
The running back wasn't happy that the organization worked with the NFL to place him on the commissioner's exempt list.
"It shows you can have all the loyalty toward someone and toward an organization, a fanbase, but when things really shift and it's you or the empire, they're gonna put you out on a leash," he said.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added credence to the belief that Peterson may want out.
#Vikings have tried to mend fences, with Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer reaching out to Peterson. To no avail. He wants a fresh start.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 20, 2015
It's not only the organization Peterson has reservations about.
"It's a difficult transition, and it's not just about me. I have a wife who was able to sit back and see how people in Minnesota said this and said that, how media in Minnesota took the head of the situation with my child, and were digging into things that weren't even relevant. That wasn't people in Texas - it was people in Minnesota that dug in and brought things out.
"This came from the state I love so much, that I wish to bring a championship to? This is how they treat me when I'm down and out? You kick me? My wife (and I), we've had several conversations about me returning to Minnesota, what the best options are. If I left it up to her, I'd be somewhere else today, and that's with her weighing everything."
If both sides were working towards a reunion, there is still the issue of Peterson's contract. He's scheduled to make more than $12 million in 2015 and that's steep for a running back approaching 30 that just missed essentially an entire season. Even one as talented as Peterson.