National Football League

Adrian Peterson denies reports that he wants to be traded

Published May. 27, 2015 8:57 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Vincent Frank

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson usually lets his agent publicly discuss his current situation with the team. However, that changed Wednesday night when Peterson released a statement to ESPN’s Josina Anderson:

“The reason I’m not attending OTAs has nothing to do with wanting to be traded. It’s about securing my future with the Vikings. It’s business, not personal and I understand that firsthand. Go Vikings.”

This statement runs contrary to various reports over the past few monthsthat indicated Peterson wants to be traded. Based on his most recent comment, it seems the veteran running back is solely focused on receiving a new contract with the Vikings, which is something else that has been reported in recent months.

Unfortunately for Peterson, the Vikings are not in any mood to work out a new contract. The 30-year-old running back is slated to earn about $44 million in base salary over the course of the next three seasons. That makes him the highest-paid player at his position in the NFL.

If Peterson is intent on playing hardball here, it’s going to cost him some money. He’s slated to earn $250,000 in workout bonuses this summer. These bonuses will be impacted if the running back continues to hold out of organized team activities leading up to training camp.

More from Sportsnaut: