Adrian Peterson reportedly set to meet with NFC South team after visiting Patriots

The former Vikings running back has had a whirlwind week

After leaving New England without a deal on Monday, it looks like Adrian Peterson has already scheduled the next stop on his 2017 free agency tour, and it’s with a team that might surprise you. 

According NFL.com, Peterson is set to head to New Orleans next week, where he’ll visit with the Saints. Although there had been no prior connection between Peterson and the Saints, it’s possible New Orleans decided to kick the tires on Peterson after Tim Hightower signed with the 49ers on Tuesday. 

The loss of Hightower, who was the second-leading rusher in New Orleans last season, means the Saints are likely in the market for a running back who could potentially complement Mark Ingram.

That being said, Peterson may not be such a good fit in New Orleans. During his career with the Vikings, Peterson thrived in a power rushing attack, which the Saints don’t exactly have. 

Another possible hang up in any potential Saints deal with Peterson is his alleged asking price, which is believed to be least $8 million in the first year of his contract. 

It’s been a rough five weeks of free agency for Peterson, who hasn’t exactly been a hot commodity. The former Vikings running back has only made two visits so far: The Patriots visit came two weeks after a mid-March trip to Seattle where he visited with the Seahawks. 

Obviously, neither trip ended in a deal. 

According to NFL.com, Peterson has said he’ll make “reasonable” contract demands if he feels that a team has legitimate title hopes, which can’t exactly be said about the Saints, so it’s unclear how much Peterson would want to sign with a team like New Orleans.  

If Peterson doesn’t sign with the Saints, that’s bad news for him because he’s slowly running out of options. Of all the other teams he’s expressed interest in -- the Seahawks, Raiders, Vikings, Buccaneers, Giants and Packers -- most have moved on. 

The Vikings and Seahawks have already signed running backs, while the Raiders seem more interested in drawing Marshawn Lynch out of retirement. Not to mention, the Buccaneers don’t seem too interested in Peterson, either. The Giants seem to have a little bit of interest, but they haven’t invited him in for a visit. 

Peterson, who spent 10 seasons with the Vikings and was the 2012 NFL MVP, left Minnesota as the team’s all-time leading rusher with 11,747 yards.