Someone actually had the nerve to get into a fistfight with former NFL running back Adrian Peterson over a game of poker.
Via TMZ.com, it happened on May 27 in Houston.
The video can be seen here.
Apparently, everything was resolved.
“Me and the guy, we’re cool,” Peterson told TMZ.com. “We’ve known each other. It was literally like a brother situation. We agreed to disagree, we had our words, and we threw blows -- and that was it. . . .
“I felt really bad,” Peterson added. “It’s a situation where I kind of regret it.”
Police weren’t called, and the club at which the incident happened took no action against either Peterson or the man he fought.
A 15-year veteran and future Hall of Famer, Peterson ranks fifth in career rushing yards, with 14,918 yards. He spent 10 years with the Vikings before finishing his career in New Orleans. And Washington. And Detroit. And Tennessee. And Seattle.
The Vikings have set their schedule for this summer’s training camp.
The team announced on Tuesday that there will be 12 practices open to the public while the team prepares for the 2025 season. The first of them will be held on Saturday, July 26.
All but one of the practices will be held at the team’s usual practice fields. The exception is a night practice on August 4, which will be held at TCO Stadium on the campus of the team’s facility.
The practices on August 13 and 14 will be joint sessions with the Patriots. The rest of the open practices will be held on July 29-31, August 1-2, August 6-7, and August 11.
People interested in buying tickets for the first NFL game in Ireland are finding themselves frustrated by the process.
A reader of PFT sent us a screenshot showing that there were more than 639,000 prospective buyers ahead of them in a virtual queue to purchase tickets for the September 28 game between the Steelers and Vikings at Croke Park in Dublin. The message from Ticketmaster says to expect a wait of more than an hour before a chance to buy tickets will be available.
Social media is filled with similar messages as well as screenshots that show there was an error once the wait was over. The Irish Times features a quote from the Ticketmaster website saying that “there are still tickets available” and that “your place in the queue is secure.”
Ticket sales for other events around the world have been plagued by online bots deployed by resellers looking to garner blocks of tickets. It’s unclear if that’s the case here or if the NFL has found a larger than anticipated market of ticket buyers for this year and the future in Ireland.
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison has a trial date arising from July 2024 a DUI citation.
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, a jury trial will commence on July 15, in a California court.
In July 2024, Addison was found asleep at the wheel at LAX airport. He is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol concentration in excess of the legal limit of .08 percent.
Both are misdemeanors. The related complication comes from the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Baseline punishment for first offense DUI is a three-game suspension.
The NFL’s procedure becomes activated by resolution of the criminal case. Either a conviction or an admission within the context of, for example, entering a diversion program, accepting deferred adjudication, or pleading no contest triggers a suspension.
The timeline for the NFL’s in-house justice system can be fuzzy. If Addison is convicted next month, there’s a decent chance the suspension will be served during the 2025 season.
Addison had 911 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023. Last season, he generated 875 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns.
Minnesota has been rocked by the assassination of House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home, along with the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
The Vikings have issued a statement condemning the senseless act of political violence.
“As Minnesotans and a team that cares deeply about our state, we are shocked and saddened by the targeted overnight attacks that took the lives of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and seriously injured State Senator Jon Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
“Our organization has worked closely with both legislators and appreciated their duties as civil servants. Speaker Emerita Hortman was a friend of the Vikings for more than 15 years and a tremendous state leader who worked tirelessly to make Minnesota a better place for all residents. She was a mother, a wife and a friend who genuinely cared about people and relationships. Our prayers are with the Hortman family as they grieve this tragedy and with all government officials who are mourning the loss of a colleague and friend. We hope for fast and full recoveries for Senator Hoffman and Yvette and safety for all members of law enforcement who continue to search for those responsible.
“These senseless acts should have no place in our communities, our state or our society. We must all unequivocally condemn political violence, reject hateful division, and deliberately work toward mutual respect, compassion and unity.”
The suspected shooter remains at large.
The Vikings agreed to a contract extension with offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reports. Phillips was entering the final year of his deal, and the extension keeps him under contract through 2026.
The team signed General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell to new deals earlier this offseason.
Phillips followed O’Connell to Minnesota in 2022 when the Vikings hired O’Connell as their head coach. Phillips was one of O’Connell’s first hires, giving Phillips an offensive coordinator job for the first time.
Phillips first coached with O’Connell in Washington in 2017-18, and they were together again on the Rams in 2020-21.
Phillips, 46, does not call the plays, but he helps organize the team’s game plan during the week and plays a big role on game day.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores also is entering the final year of his contract, per Goessling. Flores hopes for a second chance as a head coach after interviewing for three jobs this offseason.
The Vikings made a change to their roster after the end of this week’s mandatory minicamp.
They announced the signing of offensive lineman Vershon Lee. Lee worked out for the team on Thursday and also met with them prior to going undrafted earlier this year.
Lee started 40 games while at South Carolina and saw time at center, guard and tackle for the Gamecocks. He spent the 2024 season at center, which is a spot the Vikings plan to fill with free agent acquisition Ryan Kelly.
The Vikings waived safety Bubba Bolden in a corresponding move. Bolden signed with the team in March and has previously spent time with the Seahawks, Browns, and in the UFL.
The Vikings, like all teams, will have an extended break before training camp opens next month. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy intends to maximize any opportunity to work with his receivers during the otherwise down time.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, McCarthy said he plans to “take advantage of this time with the guys and just get as many reps as I can, with Justin [Jefferson], Jordan [Addison], T.J. [Hockenson], all the guys, and just make sure that, you know, we hit this ground running when we get back here.”
Where will the workouts happen?
“I’ll stay here,” McCarthy said “but if I have to go find them, I will. For sure.”
That’s the kind of thing Vikings fans will want to hear from a 2024 first-round quarterback whose rookie season was scrapped by a knee injury. He’s still unproven, but the commitment he’s showing will make a difference when the time comes to show what he can do in September.
A full meniscus repair wiped out all of quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season. He’s officially ready to go for 2025.
McCarthy told reporters on Thursday that he recently received full medical clearance.
It happened at a physical last Monday, June 2.
McCarthy also said the knee wasn’t an issue for him during the offseason program.
“I’ve never felt it at all,” McCarthy said. “You know, it feels honestly stronger than ever.”
That’s great news for McCarthy and for the Vikings’ offense. The team has taken a calculated risk by rolling the dice on an unproven commodity, given that the rest of the roster is ready to contend for a division title — and a potentially deep playoff run.
The Vikings signed General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a contract extension this offseason and they announced that he’ll be working with a pair of assistant General Managers on Wednesday.
The team has promoted Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington to that position. Grigson, who served as the G.M. of the Colts earlier in his career, was the senior vice president of player personnel. Washington’s previous title was vice president of football operations.
“We’re proud of the continued growth and evolution of our entire football staff as we enter 2025,” Adofo-Mensah said in a statement. “Our success is built on the dedication of our talented individuals who bring unique strengths to the table as we push forward to our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Minnesota.”
The Vikings also announced promotions for assistant equipment manager Terrell Barnes, team operations manager Milan Burgess, senior director of football information systems Luke Burson, senior player personnel analyst Taylor Brooks, senior database administrator Mike Desplenter, director of family engagement Quinn Gjersvig, college area scout Michell Mankoff, and associate head athletic trainer Connor Whicker.
In addition to those moves, the Vikings announced titles for director of sports medicine Matt Duhamel, college area scout Jake Essler, senior manager of team operations/liaison to player personnel Chuck Petersen, assistant strength coach/head of applied sports science Dan Ridenour, senior college executive Pat Roberts, and football video coordinator Ella Pearson.
