Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer Gives Adrian Peterson Ultimatum

Today, the Adrian Peterson saga continues, as the famous running back missed his second day of organized team activities (OTA), leading to some frustration from second-year head coach Mike Zimmer.

Mike Zimmer Gives Adrian Peterson Ultimatum

So after missing his second day of OTAs, Mike Zimmer basically gave the superstar an ultimatum: play for Minnesota or no one at all.

“He’s not going to play for anybody else,” Zimmer adamantly told the press.

Now, this would not be a big deal if it was any other player: in fact, veterans, fined or not, choose to miss these OTAs all the time.  However, the Peterson saga has gotten a lot of airtime during the offseason — specifically about how the player does not want to go back to Minnesota after the events of last year.

As most remember, Peterson was suspended for most of 2014 after pleading no contest to child abuse. Eventually, he won a court against the NFL in February and, as a result, could have been reinstated before the initial April date: instead, Commissioner Goodell flexed his muscles and waited until April 17 to officially reinstate him.

Before these events, Peterson showed hesitation about going back to the Vikings: “If I left it up to [my wife], I’d be somewhere else today… But there are some things that I’m still uneasy about.”

On top of this, there were various problems between Adrian’s agent, Ben Dogra, and the Vikings organization, including a scuffle between the agent and Vikings vice president Rob Brzezinski. Up until the beginning of April, Dogra was still voicing his displeasure with Minnesota: “I don’t think it’s in Adrian’s best interest to play in Minnesota. Why would it be?”

But the Vikings have maintained that they will not trade or release him, as Peterson’s contract does not expire until after the 2017 season. He is still owed over $46 million in his final three years with the NFC North team.

Still, after his comments, Zimmer downplayed the situation. “He’s missed a lot of OTAs over the course of his career. I’m not worried about it,” the coach said. “I’ve got 89 guys out here that I’m coaching to try and get better.”

As for when he will return, Zimmer is unsure: “I don’t know when he’s coming. We’ll just leave it at that.”

Article by Anthony Falco