The Minnesota Vikings will not exercise their 2017 option on Adrian Peterson's contract.

Peterson was due $18 million for 2017 but will instead become an unrestricted free agent.

The Minnesota Vikings have not talked to Adrian Peterson about his $18 million option for the 2017 season.

Peterson, who turns 32 on March 21, has a team option that would also trigger a $6 million bonus if he's on the roster by the third day of the league year.

"Adrian Peterson has a significant contract coming up. We have to make a decision," Rick Spielman said. "I'm not going to announce anything, but that will get addressed here before free agency starts. The one thing I will say is, if we don't exercise that option, we will always keep the door open on all of our players. But in my mind, regardless if Adrian is here or not here next year -- because of whatever happens -- he will always be a Minnesota Viking. If he's fortunate enough to go in the Hall of Fame, and fortunate enough to go in the [Vikings] Ring of Honor, in my mind, he's a Minnesota Viking."

The Minnesota Vikings struggled offensively last season for a number of reasons, including the loss of Teddy Bridgewater for the season, a dinged-up Adrian Peterson and the resignation of Norv Turner at midseason.

Pat Shurmur is now working to rebuild the Minnesota offense over the course of an entire offseason.

"There will be things we do where we’ll be able to operate differently. Some of the plays will look different maybe in special situations," Shurmur said. "But the key thing is that we have to do a better job of running the football in all situations, and I think that will be a focal point.

"From an offensive standpoint, you have to be able to score points so we need to be more efficient running the ball, hopefully more explosive, and then when we get in there close we have to score points."

The Vikings finished last season ranked 28th in the league in total offense, averaging just 315.1 yards per game. They ranked 23rd in points per game with 20.4 points per game as well.

Adrian Peterson continues to hint that he'd like to play for the New York Giants.

Just a few weeks after telling ESPN that the Giants are a team he's "thought about" playing for next season, Peterson tweeted late Wednesday that the club has "been making some interesting moves."

The Giants released Rashad Jennings earlier this week, leaving Paul Perkins as New York's lead running back.

Peterson will make $11.75 million in the final year of his three-year deal if he remains with the Minnesota Vikings.