Adrian Peterson's visit with the Patriots reportedly ends without a contract

That doesn't mean, of course, that a deal won't eventually get done

By Sean Wagner-McGough

Apr 3, 2017 at 5:28 pm ET • 1 min read

Adrian Peterson, the best running back of the past decade, remains unsigned. Though he visited the best team of the past decade (and then some) on Monday, he reportedly didn’t secure a contract with the Patriots.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Peterson’s visit with the Patriots is over. And he left without a deal. Of course, that doesn’t mean a deal won’t get worked out in the future.

Adrian Peterson's visit with the Patriots has concluded. Per sources, he's leaving without a deal...for now. Could revisit later.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 3, 2017

While the Patriots already boast an impressive versatile backfield duo in James White and Dion Lewis, they’re still lacking a powerful runner. LeGarrette Blount, who served that role the past three years, is a free agent. So, the Patriots could opt to bring him back or sign Peterson instead. Peterson is reportedly asking for a ton of money -- at least $8 million in the first year of his contract, according to ESPN.com -- though he could always take less money to join a Super Bowl contender like the Patriots.

There’s also the issue of his age (32), injury history (he tore his meniscus last year), and potentially diminished skill set (he averaged 1.9 yards per carry in three games last year). All of those factors are why it isn’t surprising that Peterson is still a free agent.

Peterson isn’t just having a hard time securing a contract, he’s also not taking many visits. Before visiting the Patriots, his only previous trip was to Seattle. But the Seahawks ended up signing Eddie Lacy, while the Vikings replaced Peterson with ex-Raiders running back Latavius Murray. Meanwhile, the Raiders are reportedly interested in Marshawn Lynch. Translation: Peterson’s not a popular free agent.