Adrian Peterson wants to retire a Viking — someday

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Washington running back Adrian Peterson has proven he can still be productive, and has continued to set high goals for himself.

But as he gets closer to the end of a strong career, he’s thinking about the end, and who he wants to end it with.

According to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the former Vikings MVP said he wants to return to his original team when it’s time to retire.

“This is where I started; this is where it’s going to come to an end, as well,” Peterson said. “People ask me all the time, and they keep throwing me off, like, ‘Where would I retire? A Saint, a Cardinal or a Redskin?’ It’s like, ‘No, I’m going to retire a Viking.’ I was here a decade — some great memories, some everlasting friends. I’m just forever indebted to the state of Minnesota. I’ll definitely be retiring a Viking, for sure.”

Peterson ran for 11,747 yards in 10 seasons in Minnesota, and has 1,571 yards in the three years since he left, so it seemed like an easy call. But he said any hard feelings that might have existed after his release have dissipated.

“I believe I gave my heart to the state of Minnesota and my fans, anytime I stepped on the field,” he said. “It’s not like I left on bad terms, like we fell out. Things just didn’t work; they went their way, I went my way. It was just kind of mutually beneficial, for me and for them.”

Gaining 1,042 yards at age 33 last season suggests it might be a few years before he’s ready to cash in on that goodwill, however.