A day after telling ESPN’s Josina Anderson that his absence from Vikings organized team activities is about trying to get security to stay with the Minnesota Vikings, Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to rant about NFL Player contracts.
Here are the tweets posted Thursday afternoon by the disgruntled 30-year-old running back:
I love people who think they know it all! Smh, Research how many NFL teams hasn't honored a player's contract & learn something.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
Question for the people, is a contract two sided or one?
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
Ok great two sided! Well why when one party decides … Mr. ? we wan't you to take a pay cut now or better yet flat out release you!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
There's never no talk about honoring a contract!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
I know hundreds of player's that wished their team would've HONORED the contract! But instead got threw to the side like like trash.
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
A lill crazy how one side has so much power that they can do as they please when it come to the contract! But when the other-side (player's)
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
Feels for whatever reason! Family, Change of scenery or simply – what they feels just might work best for them! Those same laws don't apply!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
It's all about honoring you're contract! Sounds like free will is being a lil challenged to me!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
All I'm saying as a Minnesota Viking player! WE need the same power to do as all 32 teams do we they feel, under contract or not!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
It's time for a change! Then again I'm grateful because at the end of the day, I know some of those same guys that wish a team held on!
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) May 28, 2015
The Vikings appear to be willing to pay Peterson the $12.75 million he’s due to make in 2015, on a contract that runs through 2017. However, none of the money beyond this season is guaranteed, making it easy for the Vikings to move on from Peterson in the future without suffering a major cap hit.
AP clarified his position on Twitter Thursday evening.
“To clarify, since analysts & everyone else have the answers as to what place in MY Heart this ‘rant’ came from, this is not against the Vikings. I am just frustrated that our union did not get guaranteed contracts for its players. NFL players deserve guaranteed contracts like Our NBA and MLB brothers. Owners have the right to release players, at will, without honoring their contracts. However, players do not have the luxury of saying that they want out of their contract. And I won’t even get into the franchise tag convo.”
Peterson played in just one game last season, but was paid for 10 of them and the team has never wavered from its claim that it wants Peterson back.
On the flip side, Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway has taken two large pay cuts in back-to-back seasons just to stay in Minnesota.
