Latavius Murray says he won't keep No. 28 out of respect for Adrian Peterson

When the Vikings signed Murray late Wednesday night, they likely ended their relationship with Peterson

During the first three seasons of his NFL career, all of which he spent with the Raiders, Latavius Murray wore a No. 28 uniform. Even though that same jersey number is available in Minnesota, where he signed a contract late Wednesday night, Murray won’t wear it again. 

On Thursday, Murray revealed that he refuses to wear No. 28 in Minnesota out of respect of Adrian Peterson. Here’s what he wrote on Instagram (in addition to a goodbye message to Raider Nation, which you can read here):

There wasn’t a thought in my mind to try and wear or ask for the #28. I have too much respect for AP and so much respect for what he’s done and what he means to this organization. Many people don’t know, but I wore the #28 as a kid because of Fred Taylor who played for the Jaguars at the time. When AP came onto the scene and Fred retired, he was my reason for keeping #28. I want to say to Vikings fans: I’m not here to replace #28, he’s irreplaceable. I’m not here to be #28, there’s no one like him. I ask that you accept me for the player I am and know that I’m here to give you all I got and to win #skol

There wasn't a thought in my mind to try and wear or ask for the #28. I have too much respect for AP and so much respect for what he's done and what he means to this organization. Many people don't know, but I wore the #28 as a kid because of Fred Taylor who played for the Jaguars at the time. When AP came onto the scene and Fred retired, he was my reason for keeping #28. I want to say to Vikings fans: I'm not here to replace #28, he's irreplaceable. I'm not here to be #28, there's no one like him. I ask that you accept me for the player I am and know that I'm here to give you all I got and to win #skol

A post shared by Latavius Murray (@lataviusmurray) on Mar 16, 2017 at 8:05am PDT

Peterson, of course, is on his way out of Minnesota. After a year that was cut short by injury, he saw his time with the Vikings end when the team didn’t pick up his 2017 contract option. So, officially a free agent, Peterson leaves Minnesota as the team’s greatest running back. 

From 2007-16, Peterson rushed for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. He averaged 95.5 rushing yards per game. In 2012, he even eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark, coming up 8 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. For context, consider Murray has 2,278 yards in his entire career. Peterson’s been the best running back in the game since he entered the league, which makes Murray’s decision to choose a different number an easy one. 

With that being said, Peterson, who will turn 32 this month, still hasn’t found a new home while Murray got a three-year deal worth a reported $15 million. Unfortunately for Peterson, age and health matter more than anything else for running backs in the NFL.