Adrian Peterson is continuously being linked to a trade out of the Minnesota Vikings after his team decided not to release him from his contract despite missing majority of last season due to a controversial case.
Peterson, who was placed on commissioner's exempt list last season for pleading no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault, was mentioned in recent trade rumors involving the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.
The Lions are reportedly open to acquiring the veteran running back and are also interested in Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, who is also reportedly available in trades before the 2015 NFL season.
However, Sports World Report noted that the Lions might not be able to acquire either of the two running backs because of salary cap issues. The Lions are tied to lucrative deals with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, which limits their chances of acquiring another high-profile running back before the start of next season.
The Cowboys, who are also looking to shore up their running back position, are continuously being linked to Peterson as well, but there is no imminent deal at this point according to coach Jason Garrett.
Garrett said that Peterson, the 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player, is a great running back, but they are not in talks with the Vikings or any other team about a trade as they are focused on working with the players currently on their roster.
"He's obviously a member of the Minnesota Vikings," Garrett said of Peterson in an interview with Fox Sports. "And we wish him all the best coming back from the situation that he's been in so we can kind of get his career back on track and his life back on track. We're focused on the guys that we have."
Peterson played in just one game last season, but made huge impact for the Vikings in 2012 and 2013. During the 2012 NFL season, he tallied 2,097 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns, while in 2013, he rushed for 1,266 yards with 10 touchdowns.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said last week that they expect Peterson to play in the upcoming season because he is under contract with the team, and reiterated that they have no plans to trade the 30-year-old.
"I'm not going to speculate on what he wants and doesn't want, but Adrian's under contract for three more years for us," Zimmer told Pioneer Press, referring to Peterson, who still has three-years and $43.75 million left in his contract with the Vikings. "And that's why you sign these contracts, why you get these big bonuses."
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