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Adrian Peterson Skipping OTAs Further Proof He Doesn’t Want to Play for Minnesota Vikings

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Adrian Peterson

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It is true Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has skipped optional organized team activities in the past, which is why it would be unfair to look too much into him deciding to skip OTAs this year. With that said, Peterson was present last year for OTAs for head coach Mike Zimmer’s first season. For that reason, it is safe to say Peterson deciding to pass on showing up for team work is further proof he does not want to play for the Vikings in 2015.

There are several reasons why Peterson would prefer to play for a new team in the upcoming season. For starters, he is not getting any younger, and Minnesota is still a couple of years away from becoming a contender in the NFC North. In Peterson’s eyes, it makes much more sense for his talents to be utilized with a team that has a legitimate shot at not only making the playoffs, but also possibly reaching the Super Bowl.

An even bigger reason for Peterson’s desire to suit up elsewhere is because he does not feel the Vikings properly backed him during his child abuse charges in 2014. Obviously, the team was put in an incredibly difficult position to do so, which is why they made the correct decision to suspend him indefinitely and allow the NFL to take care of the legal repercussions. Still, it was always known it would make reconciliation more difficult if Peterson was reinstated by the league.

Skipping optional organized team activities is not the biggest deal in the world, although Peterson forfeiting a $250,000 workout bonus to do so is a bit alarming. The real issue will come if he continues to show his unhappiness by not appearing for Minnesota’s mandatory minicamp in mid-June.

The Vikings are hopeful Peterson will come to the realization the organization has no desire to trade him to another team, which will help him in the process of preparing for the 2015 NFL season. Even though Minnesota is not expected to be a contender, there are still plenty of reasons for optimism when taking a glance at the roster. Peterson has the opportunity to put the team in a position to get better and be competitive in the NFC North.

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