PHOENIX — Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday that salary played a role in the team not to keep veteran running back Adrian Peterson.
“Yeah, it was just the way,” Zimmer said at the NFL owners meeting at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. “Just like with some of the other guys (who were not retained). Salary. He’s still a good player.”
General manager Rick Spielman said two weeks ago that Peterson, 32, would not return for an 11th season with the Vikings after the team signed Latavius Murray, 27, to a three-year, $15 million contract. The Vikings announced Feb. 28 that Peterson’s $18 million option for 2017 would not be picked up, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.
ESPN reported Peterson, who made $12 million last year, has been seeking a contract that would pay him more than $8 million for next season. Peterson denied that on Twitter, but did not give any other salary figure.
“Adrian and I have a really good relationship, and I think he’s a great player,” Zimmer said. “Hopefully, he goes in the hall of fame as a Viking. But (letting Peterson go) was part of the deal in getting younger as well.”
Zimmer said he hasn’t spoken to Peterson since shortly after the end of the 2016 season in January.
Murray underwent ankle surgery last week, but the Vikings have said he will be ready for the start of training camp.
“It was basically a clean-up deal,” Zimmer said of Murray’s surgery. “It was one that needed to be done.”
Zimmer likes Murray’s versatility, saying he can “help in the run, in the pass game and in protection.” He stressed, though, that Jerick McKinnon “will still get a lot of carries,” and the Vikings are expected to select a running back in the April 27-29 draft.
Zimmer said the Vikings were “almost 100 percent one-dimensional” in 2016 when they were last in the NFL in rushing, averaging 75.3 yards per game. He said, though, that recently signed tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers are better at run blocking than pass blocking, though they are “adequate” in the latter.
In other news:
- Zimmer said he wants to emphasize player development more. One player he wants to continue to develop is second-year cornerback Mackensie Alexander, who will be given first shot at playing nickelback following the departure of Captain Munnerlyn in free agency. “Understand his assignments better,” Zimmer said of what Alexander must do better. “Understand the NFL rules better in pass coverage.”
- If Alexander struggles, Zimmer said veteran Terence Newman could get a shot at the role.
- Zimmer said he still hasn’t determined who will play at right guard. He said one option is Jeremiah Sirles. He seemingly wants to keep Joe Berger at center, but there still could be a possibility of putting Berger at right guard with Nick Easton at center.
- Zimmer said the Vikings are open to bringing in another linebacker after the retirement of starter Chad Greenway and the departure of Audie Cole, and that competition could be brought in for punter Taylor Symmank.
- The Vikings will play the Cleveland Browns in London on Oct. 22 or 29, and Zimmer said he’s “65 percent” sure how many days in advance they will leave for the game. Zimmer wouldn’t give additional details, but said he’s reached out for advice from coaches whose teams have played in London.
Zimmer said he will have surgery April 17 to fix a detached retina in his right eye and then have cataract surgery two months later. Zimmer, who had four surgeries on the eye last fall and missed one game, said the procedures should fully correct his vision.
“Right now, I have an oil bubble in my eye,” he said. “They’re going to take that out (on April 17) and then put an oxygen bubble in there. I won’t be able to fly for two weeks and then after (that) I’ve got to do a cataract surgery, which they say is nothing.”
