The former Minnesota Vikings running back is still bitter about his old team not re-signing him this offseason and he recently spoke about it.
For the 11th straight season, Minnesota Vikings fans will get to watch running back Adrian Peterson take the field during the first game of the year. This time, however, he will performing in a different uniform.
In his first season with the New Orleans Saints, the former Vikings’ running back will get to show his old team just how much his 32-year-old body has left in the tank when he and the Saints come to Minnesota next Monday for their Week 1 matchup with the Vikings.
Peterson landed in New Orleans this year after Minnesota declined his lucrative contract option for 2017 and made him a free-agent for the first time in his NFL career. Based on some of his recent comments in an interview with the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig, the running back is still not very happy with the Vikings’ organization for letting him go.
"“Of course I want to stick it to them. I want to stick it to everyone we play. But going back to Minnesota, playing the Vikings? Yeah, I want to stick it to them.”"
Bitter much?
Peterson is not even the starter for the Saints and he is angry at Minnesota for wanting to move on from a player that is coming off knee injury and a 2016 season in which he averaged under two yards per carry?
As if the Vikings’ defenders needed anymore motivation to stuff Peterson in the backfield every time he touches the ball, they now have actual bulletin board material. Minnesota’s defense has been looking forward to next Monday’s game just as much as Peterson has, if not more.
Next: Projecting the Vikings' first official 2017 depth chart
But based on how the aging running back looked in his lone preseason action this year, Mike Zimmer and the Vikings’ defense do not have much to worry about.