Will Adrian Peterson Leave The Vikings? Minnesota RB Says He's Thought About It

Since his selection in the first round of the 2007 Draft, running back Adrian Peterson has been one of the most dominant players at any position in the National Football League. Eclipsing the 1,000-yard plateau in six of his seven professional seasons, the 28-year-old native of Palestine, Texas continues to pad his Hall of Fame resume while remaining a consistent nightmare for the opposition. Though his rushing numbers are down from where they were a year ago - when the former University of Oklahoma standout rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns - Peterson is still putting together a fine season for a struggling Minnesota Vikings team. Rushing 261 times for 1,208 yards and 10 scores, the 2012 NFL MVP remains in great form but a recent comment from the running back surely startled the Purple and White faithful.

Despite the fact that he's signed with the Minnesota Vikings through the 2017 season and has said in the past that he plans to spend his entire career with the team that drafted him, Adrian Peterson hinted that he's thought about possibly closing out his career back home. With the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans serving as the only two NFL teams in Peterson's home state of Texas, the five-time Pro Bowler indicated in a recent radio interview that the idea of playing close to his roots didn't seem impossible.

"You know, I'd be a liar if I said it's something that hasn't crossed my mind before," Peterson said on ESPN Radio's SVP & Russillo Show. "But I've also said to myself it would be so amazing to be one of those players who stays with one team his entire career, it would be good if I could do that. But being from Texas, I've always wondered, wow, it would be cool to play in Dallas, to play back home. Or to play in Houston."

Peterson spends the offseason in Houston and his childhood home in Palestine, Texas is just about two hours outside of Dallas. When his Minnesota Vikings paid a visit to AT&T Stadium on November 3 for a contest with the Cowboys, Peterson said it was great to have so many members of his family and friends there because they all cheered for the Dallas Cowboys when Adrian was younger.

"I'd be lying to say it didn't mean something, anytime you play at home and play against the Cowboys, the team I grew up watching and liking," he said prior to the game. "My hometown's and hour and change from there. It's still another game, but then again, having family there, Dallas is where I lost my brother as well. We stayed there for a few years before we moved back to Palestine. So, you know, it's always good to go back there."

It's unlikely that AP finishes out his career any place other than Minnesota but with a strong love for his hometown, perhaps the Texas native could end up with the Texans of Cowboys if he feels he can still play at a competitive level once his contract ends following the 2017 NFL season.