Once the 2016 NFL season came to an end, skepticism surrounding Adrian Peterson and his future with the Minnesota Vikings had already started building for multiple reasons. Think of a contract situation, growing belief that the veteran running back was no longer in his prime, and Peterson himself had also begun hinting at moving on from Minnesota. But most importantly, Peterson has now revealed that one of the biggest reasons behind his 2017 departure from the Vikings was then-head coach Mike Zimmer.

“When I was leaving there, I just felt disrespected by the head coach. Not the organization or anything like that, just the head coach. Me and him kinda had had a few words respectfully, I was just like ‘alright it was probably best for me to do something different,” Peterson said this week.

Peterson left the Vikings following an injury-marred 2016 season. In Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, the RB went down with a knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn meniscus. After undergoing surgery, Minnesota placed Petersoon on injured reserve. He returned in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts at a time when the playoff chances were on the line for the Vikings. However, Minnesota lost the game and subsequently fell out of contention. As that unfolded, the relationship between Peterson and Coach Zimmer became rocky.

To put that into perspective, Zimmer wanted Peterson to play in the final two weeks of the season. Peterson, however, didn’t want to risk his health or re-aggravate his meniscus. Eventually, the veteran running back became frustrated by what he viewed as the coaching staff questioning his commitment.

“The next week, coach wanted me to play again. I was like, ‘Coach, I just came back from tearing my meniscus. It’s my first game. We have no chance to make the playoffs. Why would I get out there and risk hurting myself?” Peterson revealed last year…That was 2016, and my contract was up too, you know, so I could have easily been like, ‘I’m just gonna shut it down in Week 3 after the injury and just, whatever, recover.’

“Coach (Zimmer), it rubbed him the wrong way that I made that decision,” continued Peterson. “That’s where we had a couple words. He said some things that was disrespectful, challenging me as far as being a competitor, and just my whole being.”

The Vikings eventually lost the playoff game and finished with an 8-8 record that season. While Peterson chose to prioritize his health that year, he also felt that the team could have shown him a little more appreciation for his efforts.

However, the cracks were already forming between the team’s front office and Peterson during the 2015 offseason, when the former running back withheld from joining the team’s offseason activities and Zimmer released a statement claiming Peterson only had “two choices – play for us or play for no one.”

Peterson’s conflicts with the front office were about the last three years of his contract. He reportedly expressed his frustration on X, noting, “A lill crazy how one side has so much power that they can do as they please when it comes to the contract! But when the other side (players) feel for whatever reason! Family, Change of scenery, or simply – what they feel just might work best for them! Those same laws don’t apply!”

At that time, Peterson’s deal ran through 2017 and would have paid him $12.75 million this season. He would make $15 million in 2016 and $16 million in 2017, including $250,000 workout bonuses each season, but there was no guaranteed money left in his contract, and the Vikings would face no penalty for releasing him.

The uncertainty was finally over in July 2015, when the Vikings agreed to restructure the final three years of the former running back’s contract, giving Peterson “additional security.”

But following the 2016 season, the Vikings made it clear they would not exercise Peterson’s contract option for 2017. Had they done so, Minnesota would have owed the veteran running back roughly $18 million. Instead, Peterson entered free agency during the 2017 offseason before eventually signing with the New Orleans Saints.

So, despite being the former seventh overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and one of the greatest players in franchise history, Adrian Peterson ultimately ended his Vikings tenure feeling disrespected by his head coach. Still, even after leaving the franchise on a sour note, Minnesota has now announced a major update involving its former star running back.

The Vikings will reward Adrian Peterson for his services

Following the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings recently invited Adrian Peterson to speak with the team’s rookies. At the same time, though, fellow Vikings legend John Randle surprised Peterson with the news that Minnesota will officially induct the former running back into the franchise’s Ring of Honor during the 2026 season.

“From the moment we selected Adrian in the 2007 NFL Draft, he proved to be a transformational player for the Minnesota Vikings,” owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement. “His historic 2012 MVP season will be rightfully remembered by fans, but Adrian’s consistent production over 10 seasons in Minnesota is what firmly established him as an all-time Viking and one of the greatest to ever play this game.”

Peterson spent the first 10 years of his NFL career in Minnesota after the Vikings selected him during the 2007 NFL Draft. Across a decade with the franchise, the veteran running back appeared in 123 games, started 116, rushed for 11,747 yards, and scored 97 rushing touchdowns. His tenure also included the legendary 2012 season when Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns before winning both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards.

Beyond that, Peterson also earned seven Pro Bowl selections and four First-Team All-Pro honors during his time with Minnesota. And now, because of everything he accomplished with the franchise, Adrian Peterson will officially join fellow Vikings running backs and Ring of Honor members Chuck Foreman and Bill Brown later this season.