When Chad Greenway‘s extension got done a lot of people predicted it wouldn’t take long for the Vikings to take care of Adrian Peterson. Turns out those folks were right. On Saturday the Vikings announced they have signed Peterson to a contract extension.
Peterson leaving? Franchise tags? You can forget about all that stuff. AD is in the house, and will continue to be in the house through the prime of his career.
We’re still waiting to hear the terms of this deal, but if things go down anything like they did last weekend with Greenway, that info should be along shortly. In the meantime, here’s what Vikings owner Zygi Wilf had to say about Peterson, the new highest-paid running back in the NFL (we can safely assume) :
"Adrian’s performances on the field have given fans so much excitement since he first joined us as a rookie. His talent and determination are remarkable and we are proud to have him be a part of the family for years to come. We are excited that in the past week we have been able to lock up Chad Greenway and Adrian for the long term. Both players have come up in our system and are the foundation to the future of the Vikings."
Update: That was quick: PFT is already reporting that Peterson has agreed to a 7-year, $100 million deal with $36 million guaranteed. That is some serious, serious scratch. Don’t get hurt Adrian. Please.
Update 2: Peterson to Viking fans after signing his new deal: “Today is an incredible day. Minnesota’s where I want to be and I’m excited to continue playing for you.” Of course you’re excited Adrian, you just got $36 MILLION GUARANTEED!
Update 3: There are always little subtle nuances to these contracts. According to Adam Schefter, Peterson’s deal is actually worth $96 million but could climb to $100 million with escalators. Also, the $36 million guaranteed is really only $32, but he gets the other $4 million if he gets cut due to injury.
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