Adrian Peterson visited with the New Orleans Saints earlier this week, and it sounds like the meeting went well enough that the two sides are open to working out some sort of deal — eventually.
Nick Underhill of The Advocate confirmed on Friday that Peterson left New Orleans without a contract. However, the belief is that the two sides have not closed the door on a possible agreement, though it would likely come “down the line” at some point. That probably means after the NFL Draft.
As expected, Underhill implied that money could be an issue with Peterson and the Saints. New Orleans already owes Mark Ingram $3.7 million in 2017, and the former Alabama star is likely to keep his starting job whether Peterson joins the team or not. That means Peterson would essentially be a backup if he joined the Saints, so he can’t expect to be paid like a starter.
Peterson recently turned 32 and is coming off another significant knee injury, so his stock isn’t exactly at its peak. Teams have also been wary of the child abuse scandal that caused him to miss nearly the entire 2014 season, though there have been indications that A.P. appears to be in great physical condition.
If a team wanted Peterson as a starter, he probably would have been signed by now. He’ll likely find work at some point after the NFL Draft.
