Vikings won't release Adrian Peterson, his agent says

The agent for Adrian Peterson says the Minnesota Vikings do not plan to release the All Pro running back.

Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra, told Fox Sports that general manager Rick Spielman informed him of the Vikings’ decision on Wednesday.

“It was important for me to relay the position the Vikings are taking to Adrian,” Dogra said. “I want to make sure there is absolutely no confusion whatsoever.”

Peterson, the 2012 NFL MVP, met with team owners Mark and Zygi Wolf and Spielman earlier this week and has voiced concerns about returning to the team for the 2015 season.

Peterson said last month that he is “uneasy” about rejoining Minnesota (the team wants to keep him) after the team put him on the commissioner’s exempt list in September. That decision from the Vikings stemmed from a grand jury indicting Peterson on child abuse charges.

Peterson later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor reckless injury charge in November for using a switch to discipline his four-year-old son. The NFL then suspended Peterson for the rest of the season. Peterson was later reinstated to the league on Feb. 26 when a federal judge ruled that his suspension should be vacated. When the suspension was vacated, the league put Peterson back on the commissioner’s exempt list.

Peterson still has three years remaining on his six-year, $96 million contract with the Vikings and is owed $12.75 million for the 2015 season. Since the Vikings won’t release him, the possibility of a trade could emerge if Peterson does not agree to return to the team.

Peterson, who will turn 30 on Saturday, has spent his entire career in Minnesota since the team drafted him seventh overall in 2007. In parts of eight seasons, Peterson has accumulated 10,190 yards and 86 touchdowns rushing. He also has 208 catches for 1,715 yards and five scores in his career.