Adrian Peterson Will Meet with New Orleans Saints

Free-agent running back Adrian Peterson will meet with the New Orleans Saints next week. Peterson told ESPN's Josina Anderson that he will fly to New Orleans Monday and visit with the team on Tuesday, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.

On Thursday, Ian Rapoport and Heath Evans of NFL Network initially reported the meeting would take place.

Peterson, 32, met with the New England Patriots on Monday but left without a contract. He played his first 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, earning seven Pro Bowl berths, four All-Pro selections and the 2012 MVP award.

The Vikings declined Peterson's player option for 2017 in February, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. A knee injury limited him to just three games last season, wherein he rushed for a career-low 72 yards on 37 carries.

After lingering on the market longer than many expected, Peterson took to Twitter last month to deny reports money was the main factor in his continued free agency. 

"Here is something straight from the horse's mouth ... finding the best fit & helping a team in a major way win a championship is my main objective! I'm in no rush," Peterson tweeted. "Let me eliminate questions or speculation as to why...I believe whole heartedly my God will land me right where I need to be to accomplish what I've asked from him PERIOD."

Mark Ingram went over the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time in his career last season but still does not have the full trust of the Saints coaching staff. There were various times he was benched in favor of veteran Tim Hightower after making mistakes.

Ingram is under contract for the next two seasons at reasonable rates, so he's not going anywhere. Peterson signing in New Orleans would likely be an acknowledgement that the twilight of his career will be spent in a timeshare—something he has never done before.

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