This interview went under the radar during Super Bowl weekend, but on Tuesday the Vikings shared a 10-minute interview Peterson did with NFL Network. At one point, Deion Sanders asked Peterson about his relationship with head coach Mike Zimmer and if they’ll be together in purple next season.
“I love him,” Peterson answered. “I feel like we’re going to be able to work something out.”
Due $18 million in 2017, including a $6 million bonus on March 11, it’s been widely speculated that Peterson will play elsewhere next season. Minnesota has until the start of the league year, March 9, to restructure Peterson’s contract, pay him what he’s owed or cut him.
Peterson enhanced speculation that he’s done in Minnesota when recently naming the Bucanneers, Texans and Giants as teams he’d be interested in joining.
Peterson refers to Vikings as ‘we’
“I really feel like we do, especially at the quarterback position,” Peterson said when asked if the Vikings are a Super Bowl contender next season. “Sam [Bradford] came in this year and did an incredible job. Defensively, you look at all the young talent that we have, coach Zimmer has done a great job of piecing guys together and they’re performing at a high level.
“We need to tweak the offensive line a little bit. We have great receivers that compliment our offense as well. I feel like the sky is the limit for us.”
If Peterson is in the mix he’ll be hungry to prove doubters wrong after rushing for fewer than 100 yards this season.
“I really have a lot to prove to myself just to let people know that, hey, I still got it,” he said.
Peterson in Dallas?
You’d think the presence of the best young running back in the NFL, Ezekiel Elliott, would be enough for the Dallas Cowboys. But apparently not.
“One league source said that if the Vikings and Peterson could not agree on a restructured contract, the Cowboys could be an option,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week.
Like Peterson told TMZ over the weekend, “time will tell.”
