Vikings ink Peterson replacement

MINNEAPOLIS — Adrian Peterson has taken his final handoff for Minnesota, a 10-year run featuring a league MVP award, plenty of off-the-field drama and a franchise-leading 11,747 yards rushing over 123 regular-season games.

After the Vikings declined their $18 million option on his contract for 2017 two weeks ago to make Peterson a free agent, they signed former Oakland running back Latavius Murray early Thursday. General manager Rick Spielman then clarified the obvious — the four-time All-Pro will play elsewhere in 2017.

“He will always be a Viking,” Spielman said. “I know, to our fans and to the people in this building, he will always have a special place in this franchise.”

Spielman called Peterson’s agent with a heads-up about Murray’s deal before speaking with Peterson, as did Vikings ownership, to wish him well. Spielman declined to answer a question about whether the Vikings offered him a new contract.

“We had a great conversation,” Spielman said.

Murray wrote an ode to Peterson on Instagram that revealed his old uniform number, 28, was first chosen in awe of former Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor and then maintained out of respect for Peterson. The choice to change to 25 with the Vikings was easy, with Peterson’s purple 28 sure to be retired someday.

“I’ve been a huge fan of everything that he’s done there,” Murray said.