Either the Minnesota Vikings and running back Adrian Peterson have truly mended all fences or they were at least able to put on a really happy face on Tuesday.
Peterson reported to OTA practices on Tuesday, after staying away during an acrimonious time. Peterson missed almost all of last year while dealing with a legal situation that stemmed from his young son suffering injuries when Peterson hit him with a switch. There were many reports that Peterson wasn't all that happy with the organization. You wouldn't have known that on Tuesday, when he and coach Mike Zimmer gave their news conferences.
"I love this kid. I really do," Zimmer said. "I wouldn’t fly down to Houston to see him if he wasn’t important to me and to my program and our coaches and the rest of the football team."
Peterson said that all of his teammates reacted with hugs and jokes when they saw him. He was asked why he reported now, and he said it was because he "just wanted to." He said it felt like family when he came back.
"There’s been a lot of love I’ve felt through this process, and I was able to feel that same love today being around the guys and just being back in the building," Peterson said.
It was a wide-ranging news conference for Peterson, who hadn't made many comments since he was indicted last year. One moment that stuck out came when he was asked if at any point he wanted to play with a different team. He said he didn't know what he wanted to do, and that came off as genuine.
"I’m going to be 100 percent with you, with everything going on in my life during that time, I didn’t really know what I wanted," Peterson said. "I didn’t know if I wanted to play somewhere else, I didn’t know if I wanted to retire, I didn’t know if I wanted to go off and get into track, just change it up, do something different."
Advice from people like his parents and advisers got him back on track. That's how he ended up back with the Vikings on Tuesday.
Peterson also talked about his son. Peterson said he apologized to his son right after the incident with the switch happened. He said repeatedly that he loves his son and all of his children.
"The relationship is good. It’s love," Peterson said. "I made a mistake. I know a lot of people don’t view it that was based off what they’ve seen, but ultimately that’s what it was. My son knows that and he knows I love him. And my other kids, they know the same."
"I made a mistake, and I’m not taking it lightly at all. It’s something I regret. My son knows that and the people who truly know me and my character and what type of person I am when I’m around my kids, they know that as well."
It was clear that Zimmer had a huge part in Peterson returning, even after his hard-line comment last week that Peterson would play with the Vikings or nowhere else. He said he supported Peterson through the entire ordeal, and the team never had any trade talks that included him. Peterson was obviously happy to be back, and if Zimmer's demeanor was any indication, the entire team was happy as well.
"We welcome him with open arms, unequivocally," Zimmer said. "I've always supported him 100 percent and will continue to do so as long as he's with us, and hopefully that's for a long, long time."
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