Adrian Peterson would like to stay in Minnesota

Adrian Peterson says he would like to stay in Minnesota, but wouldn’t say whether he’d accept a pay cut to extend his career with the Vikings.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Peterson said.

Monday morning's comments came as Vikings players cleared out their lockers to punctuate a disappointing, injury-riddled 8-8 season following a league-best 5-0 start.

Under his current contract, Peterson would cost the Vikings $18 million in 2017, which would make him the NFL’s highest-paid running back. The Vikings are more likely to release Peterson to save the money – a move that would probably come before March when he’s due a $6 million roster bonus. That means if Peterson really wants to retire in purple, he will need to restructure his deal.

Adrian Peterson appeared in just 3 games with the Vikings this season. He opened the season with a disappointing 31 yards on 19 carries against the Tennessee Titans, then tore his meniscus in a 19-yard performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. Peterson played 12 plays in his first game back from the injury against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, gaining 22 yards on 6 carries.

Peterson is the Vikings’ all-time leading rusher with 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns.