Adrian Peterson is expected to honor contract with Vikings, coach says

Minnesota Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer was the latest to weigh in on Adrian Peterson’s status with the team.

And, not surprisingly, he took the same stance as Vikings co-owner and President Mark Wilf took Tuesday, rather than the one expressed by Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra.

“He’s under contract and we expect him to honor it,” Zimmer said Wednesday of Peterson.

Zimmer was speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, where Wilf had said a day earlier that “we fully expect [Peterson] to join his teammates and be a part of what we feel is going to be a great season ahead.”

A day earlier at the same meetings, however, Dogra made the star running back’s position perfectly clear.

“We want out of Minnesota,” Dogra told USA Today.

He expanded a bit Tuesday in a phone interview with the Associated Press.

“We clearly understand he’s under contact with the Vikings,” Dogra said. “After several discussions and much thought, I believe that it’s not in his best interest to resume his career in Minnesota. It might be best for all parties involved for him to resume his career elsewhere.”

But Zimmer feels that it is, in fact, in Peterson’s best interest to stay with the team he’s played for throughout his storied eight-year career.

“I think when he goes into the Hall of Fame, he’s going to want to go in with the jersey that everyone remembers him as,” Zimmer said. “That will be as a Viking.”

Twitter: @chewkiii