Adrian Peterson Opens Up About Feeling 'Disrespected' by Mike Zimmer

Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer's propensity to rub players the wrong way wasn't just held to non-star players. According to legendary running back Adrian Peterson, he had a falling out with Zimmer during the 2016 season, which ended up with Peterson leaving the Vikings when his contract ran out following the season.

Peterson played for the Vikings from 2007 until 2016, recently being named to the Vikings' Ring of Honor for his legendary career. The last three years of Peterson's Vikings career came during the beginning of Zimmer's tenure in Minnesota. Peterson's time in Minnesota ended when the Vikings didn't exercise the option in his contract for the 2017 season, thus sending him into free agency.

During an appearance on the Ed Block CourageCast Podcast, Peterson said he "honestly" wasn't surprised the team didn't exercise his option for the 2017 season.

"The reason I say this — and a lot of people know the inside of things that go on — but, for me, when I left, me and the head coach kind of bumped heads a little bit," said Peterson. "Because I just felt disrespected. So, for me, when I look back at it, I think I could have — I know I could have — handled it a different way, and maybe that doesn't happen. Maybe they don't go shopping, trying to find someone else. So, I wasn't shocked when it ended up happening."

After moving on from Peterson, the Vikings signed Latavius Murray in free agency and drafted Dalvin Cook in the second round. Murray would end up leading the team in rushing in 2017, but Cook went on to become the team's workhorse, star running back over the next several seasons.

"Honestly, just leaving there, I felt disrespected by the head coach in particular," said Peterson. "Not the organization or anything like that. It was the head coach. Me and him had a few words, respectfully."

If the Vikings had exercised the option, they would have owed the then 31-year-old running back a whopping $18 million for the season. For a 31-year-old running back, that's an extreme number. Add in the fact that Peterson suffered a meniscus injury early in 2016 — his second serious knee injury in six seasons — and it makes sense that Minnesota passed up on paying him.

However, it was that injury that allegedly caused the rift between Peterson and Zimmer.

"I tore like 90% of my meniscus," recalled Peterson. "My options were to do the repair, and it was a 40% chance that it wouldn't heal. Or I could cut it out and go through the healing process, and at some point I would be bone-on-bone. ... So, that happened and I opt to have the surgery and to do the repair. It was that game plan that I envisioned, and I wasn't really listening to what everybody else had to say about it, outside of the professionals' opinions, as far as my options. But, as far as the healing process, I think totally different. So, I'm just like, 'You know what? I can come back, man.' Normally, typically, that would end somebody's season, and I was like, 'I can come back.'"

Just two games into the 2016 season, Peterson tore his meniscus in the Vikings' first ever game at U.S. Bank Stadium. He missed 11 weeks while recovering from surgery to repair the injury. When he returned, Minnesota was 7-6 and in a race for an NFC playoff spot. Needing to win in Week 15 to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Vikings got thumped 34-7 by a six-win Colts squad, with Peterson rushing for just 22 yards on six carries. Following the game, Peterson was shut down for the season, which Zimmer allegedly didn't appreciate.

"During that time that I came back, I want to say we had a home game against the Colts, and it was a situation where if we win that game, we had a chance to win out and go to the playoffs," continued Peterson. "So, here I am at the time, this is the last year of my contract. I could have easily sat it out and seen what would happen going into the next season. That's what I could have done. But, me being the type of person that I am, the competitor that I am, I'm all for it. I want to get out there and I want to play. So, I got out there and went through it, and we end up losing the game. We end up losing the game and I think we had a zero percent chance of making (the playoffs). At this point, it's time for me to shut it down. It was time for me to go ahead and rest and see what happens next year."

"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 ended up missing the playoffs by a game, finishing with an 8-8 record, one back of the 9-7 Lions, who made it as a wild card team. Peterson said he was hoping that his effort to return late in the season would have garnered some appreciation from the hard-nosed head coach. Instead, Zimmer allegedly called Peterson out for shutting himself down.

"But, you know, it is what it is," said Peterson. "Everything happens for a reason. I went on and played a couple more years. Blessed to be a part of some other great organizations. My kids were able to travel and see the world."

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