All of the drama surrounding Peterson since child abuse charges were imposed on him last September now appears to be over.
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Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to restructure the final three years of the running back’s contract.
“It does provide the early money, which agents always want, so teams don’t leave these guys hanging throughout the offseason”, said ESPN NFL Insider Andrew Brandt, who negotiated contracts for the Green Bay Packers from 1999-2008.
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said the restructuring was a “win for both Adrian and the Vikings”. There were no guarantees beyond 2015 in his previous deal.
His deal, which runs through 2017, and was scheduled to earn $12.75 million in 2015.
Peterson has been chasing guaranteed money for a while now. That’s the flexibility that has become the norm in the National Football League and a staple of Brzezinski’s contracts in the Vikings’ front office. (In other words, both must happen to preserve the salary.) The drop in the roster bonus moves to $2 million if Peterson fails to rush for at least 1,350 or if the team fails to make it to the playoffs.
Charles Robinson was the first to report on the deal, tweeting that it included additional guaranteed money in 2015 and 2016, but leaves Peterson unprotected for 2017. The Vikings now have an easy out if they decide to part ways with the 30-year-old star rusher after this season. The team did not announce the contract details in a statement it released.
Instead of taking an outright financial hit, Minnesota basically guaranteed some of the salary Peterson would have received in the final two years of his deal in order placate him and put to rest any talk of leaving this season.
“I feel like I’m blessed”, Peterson said last month, when asked about his longevity at a demanding position that churns up some of the best.
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Minnesota Vikings managing back Adrian Peterson was greeted by dozens of supporters as he returned to his Texas hometown for the ninth once-a-year “Adrian Peterson Working day” after a time in which he did not perform.
