Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Mike Zimmer confident Adrian Peterson wouldn't be malcontent

Questions about Adrian Peterson consumed the better part of Mike Zimmer's hour-long media session at the NFC coaches' breakfast on Wednesday in Phoenix, as Zimmer stayed squarely on message for the groups of reporters who stopped at his table. The Vikings aren't planning to trade Peterson, Zimmer said. The running back has a contract and the team expects him to honor it, the coach added. And no, the team isn't planning to grant Peterson's wish for a fresh start simply because he's unhappy at the moment.

Zimmer took great pains to clarify his stance on Peterson, after Pro Football Talk quoted Zimmer as saying the Vikings would accommodate Peterson if he wanted to leave. "I never said I would accommodate," Zimmer said. "All I said was that I want him to want to be there, like I want all of my players to want to be there. I've been in situations before that I thought were not the best situations. I've been under contract, and so I did what I was supposed to do, and it turned out pretty good."

For his part, Peterson told ESPN last month he believed the Vikings would let him move on if he wasn't happy in Minnesota. "I understand they respect me enough that if, for whatever reason, I wasn't happy and didn't want to come back to Minnesota, they wouldn't want me to be unhappy," Peterson said. "I know I have enough respect and know those guys well enough to know that much about them."

But at the moment, the Vikings are saying they don't plan to move Peterson. And it appears that stance is rooted in a belief that when it comes time to decide between playing or sitting, Peterson won't miss a second consecutive year simply because he's unhappy being in Minnesota.

As we discussed yesterday, the Vikings do not believe Peterson would be a malcontent once he shows up in Minnesota. I tend to agree with that stance; Peterson has too much professional pride and competitive drive to loaf on the field. And for all his concerns with people outside the team's football department, his relationships with his direct supervisors -- running backs coach Kirby Wilson, offensive coordinator Norv Turner and Zimmer -- remain strong. Essentially, a big part of the Vikings' approach is their belief Peterson won't become a problem in their locker room.

"I think the relationship is still right," Zimmer said. "I'm trying not to say what he's told me, but I think both of us, we understand we have a good relationship -- him and myself, football-wise, the team, our football organization. I think he feels good about it."

Zimmer also appealed to Peterson's previous statements about playing his entire career in Minnesota, referencing a player Peterson grew up watching.

"It might be a good question to ask Emmitt Smith if he wished he would have gone to Arizona those last two years," Zimmer said.

It sounded as though the coach had used that approach to sell Peterson on staying in Minnesota, as well. And unless they're just doing an extremely thorough job of posturing, the Vikings' lack of urgency to move Peterson would seem to reflect a belief the running back will eventually come around.

"I think he's a great competitor. I know he loves being around the team -- our team and Adrian communicate a lot," Zimmer said. "I think when he comes back, he'll be great."

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