Adrian Peterson, the reigning NFL MVP and last season's leading rusher, made some pot-stirring comments while speaking to a Sirius XM radio station about the topic of gay marriage.
Peterson was questioned about his views on the topic because of former teammate, punter Chris Kluwe, getting released by the Vikings despite a fairly productive 2012 season. Kluwe is an outspoken gay rights activist, and there was speculation from many sided that Minnesota tired of his opinions.
Peterson is quoted as saying, "To each his own, (but) I'm not with it. I have relatives that are gay. I'm not bias towards them. I still treat them the same. I love them. But, again, I'm not with that. That's not something I believe in. But to each his own."
When asked about Kluwe's departure, Peterson said, "It hurt me to see him leave," Peterson said. "He was a good friend of mine and a really cool guy - probably one of the smartest guys I've ever been around. (He's) different."
Finally, Peterson said he did not believe that Kluwe's release was related to his open support for gay marriage. "I'm sure the Vikings organization didn't release him based on that," Peterson said. "They know Kluwe. They've been knowing him for a long time. They know he's outspoken."
On the field, Peterson had one of the most impressive seasons of all-time. The man nicknamed "All Day" carried the ball 348 times for 2,097 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He did all this despite tearing his anterior cruciate ligament late in the 2011 season, and returning to play all 16 games of the season.
Also stacking the deck against Peterson was inconsistent play at quarterback by Christian Ponder, and the midseason loss of Ponder's chief pass-catching threat, Percy Harvin, to injury.
Heading into 2013, the Vikings will likely ask Peterson to keep his comments related to on-field matters. With Harvin traded to the Seattle Seahawks, the Vikings will likely need another MVP-caliber effort from Peterson to make a return trip to the playoffs.
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