Agent: Vikings won't cut Peterson

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

The agent for Adrian Peterson said Wednesday night that the Minnesota Vikings have no plans to release the running back.

Ben Dogra told multiplenews outlets that Vikings general manager Rick Spielman relayed that decision to him Wednesday.

"It was important for me to relay the position the Vikings are taking to Adrian," Dogra told Fox Sports. "I want to make sure there is absolutely no confusion whatsoever."

According to multiple media reports, Peterson flew to New York on Monday for yet another meeting with Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, as well as Spielman, about his concerns over a return to Minnesota next season.

The 2012 NFL MVP told ESPN last month he was "still uneasy" about coming back to the Vikings after the team placed him on the commissioner's exempt list in September. Peterson, who pleaded no contest on Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless injury after using a switch to discipline his 4-year-old son in May, was suspended on Nov. 18 for the rest of the season.

Federal judge David Doty ordered the NFL to vacate Peterson's suspension on Feb. 26, and the NFL put Peterson back on the commissioner's exempt list, which allowed the Vikings to resume contact with him.

Peterson, who will turn 30 on Saturday, is under contract with the Vikings for the next three seasons and is scheduled to earn $12.75 million next season with a $15.4 million cap hit.

If the Vikings won't release Peterson, the only other option besides playing for the Vikings would be for Peterson to be traded by Minnesota.

"Obviously, he's an MVP-caliber player," Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald told reporters at the LPGA Founders Cup Pro-Am on Wednesday afternoon. "Everybody knows that. Any team he ends up with -- or if he stays with the Vikings -- is going to have a great back. If he was to come play here, it would obviously mean a tremendous amount for our ballclub."

Ben Goessling of ESPN.com contributed to this report.

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