Football season never ends. Never.
Thursday marked the second consecutive day a key member of the Minnesota Vikings voiced public support for troubled running back Adrian Peterson. Team Owner and President Mark Wilf on Wednesday said the Vikings want Peterson back; newly promoted team executive Kevin Warren did the same Thursday.
Here’s a clip of Warren’s two-minute answer about Peterson, courtesy of the Star Tribune.
“So for my feelings about Adrian, I have great respect for him as a football player and as a person. He’s part of our Vikings family and I would welcome him back with open arms. And as I said, I don’t think he ever left. He’s still a member of our team. So a lot of things that have been said, it’s probably not appropriate to even comment and respond to things that have been said or whatever. But I can tell you that my feelings about Adrian are very positive. They’ve been positive every day that he’s been here with the Vikings. I look forward to him having the opportunity to play again and as Mark Wilf said yesterday, once he gets everything resolved and is in a position to play, he’s an absolutely incredible football player and he’s a great community ambassador and he’s been great for the game of football. I hope that he finishes his career here in Minnesota. I hope we can win multiple Super Bowls together. And I hope I can attend his Hall-of-Fame induction in Canton many years down the road.
“I hope that sets it straight how I feel about Adrian Peterson.”
Warren’s support for Peterson is key because he was identified by ESPN’s Adam Schefter as the person within the organization that Peterson didn’t feel was supporting him during the thick of his child abuse case.
Kevin Warren gives a passionate plea about wanting Adrian Peterson back with the Vikings and says he wants to attend his HOF induction.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 12, 2015
Warren was actually meeting with reporters, not to discuss Peterson, but to discuss his promotion from Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Administrator to Chief Operating Officer.
#Vikings promote Kevin Warren to Chief Operating Officer: http://t.co/4PEMPBJQWJ pic.twitter.com/9EmsQzWvzp
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 12, 2015
Prior to Warren issuing words of support for Peterson, Pro Football Talk posted a blog warning that Warren’s ascension to a higher rank in the organization could be reason enough for Peterson to look for a “fresh start” with another team.
Peterson, just last week, said he “of course” wants to play for the Vikings again.
