|
MINNEAPOLIS -- Adrian Peterson did not attend the start of the Vikings' offseason workout program Monday, league sources told ESPN, although the star running back's absence at this stage of Minnesota's offseason has been almost a yearly occurrence. The Vikings had not been expecting Peterson to show up at their facility, according to a source. Peterson has rarely been present for the Vikings' offseason program before the start of organized team activities in May. He attended the team's voluntary veteran minicamp during coach Mike Zimmer's first season, but he has normally stayed in Houston to work out before joining the team later in the spring.  Peterson's $250,000 workout bonus is tied to his participation in OTAs and the team's mandatory minicamp from June 16-18, not the optional workouts the Vikings hold before that point. Peterson's whereabouts, of course, are a source of intrigue in light of his rift with the team. Peterson told ESPN in February that he was "still uneasy" about returning to the Vikings in 2015, believing the team did not support him sufficiently in the wake of his indictment on child abuse charges last September. He called the decision to put him on the commissioner's exempt list an "ambush" and added his family still had concerns about how he would be received in Minnesota if he was to return there. Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, said at the NFL owners meetings last month that he didn't believe it was in Peterson's "best interests" to return to the Vikings in 2015. After Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault on Nov. 4, the NFL suspended him for the rest of the season on Nov. 18. Federal judge David Doty ordered the league to vacate the suspension on Feb. 26, however, and the NFL put Peterson back on the commissioner's exempt list while appealing Doty's ruling. The NFL reinstated Peterson effective Friday, with commissioner Roger Goodell telling Peterson in a letter he was free to participate in all of the Vikings' scheduled activities. The Vikings repeatedly have said they plan to keep the 30-year-old running back, who is scheduled to make $12.75 million in 2015. After Peterson was reinstated, the team released a short statement, saying, "We look forward to Adrian rejoining the Vikings." If Peterson was to sit out the Vikings' whole offseason program, the team could fine him up to $72,920 for missing its mandatory minicamp, in addition to withholding his offseason bonus. At the moment, though, it is neither costly nor out of the ordinary for Peterson to stay away from Minnesota.
|
