Adrian Peterson signs with the New Orleans Saints

After hearing rumors for several days, the New Orleans Saints have finally inked Adrian Peterson to a free agent contract. The deal appears to be for two years and $7 million, but according to Josina Anderson of ESPN, it's much more complicated than that.

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Anderson tweeted that the deal is essentially a one-year deal with a one-year option. She went on to say Peterson agreed on 2017 compensation is $3.5 million ($2.5 signing bonus + $1 million base), which is all guaranteed at signing. Peterson also told Anderson that max incentive package disclosed right now would equal to an amount of $8.25M between the 2017-18 seasons. Total incentives reached in 2017 would be added to the per game roster bonuses in the 2018 season. The 2018 salary for Peterson is $3.5 million (none of which is guaranteed) $750k on the third day of free agency, $1.65 million in per game roster bonuses, $1.05 million base salary, and a $50,000 workout bonus, which amounts to a $1.05 million base and $2.45 million (including workout bonus) in roster bonuses for those keeping count.

Ian Rappoport of NFL Network added in that both the Saints and Peterson fully expect the life of those deal to be for the full two years. Peterson wants to and believes he can play for two more years while the Saints fully believe he can contribute to the team for the while two years.

RB Adrian Peterson's statement to Josina Anderson on the #Saints: “I am excited to be joining the New Orleans Saints. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity. Most importantly, I chose this team because it just felt right within my spirit. Additionally, my wife and family added their confirmation with the same feelings. On offense, it goes without saying that the Saints are really solid behind Drew Brees. I feel like my skill set can make them even more dominant as a unit. They have a great offensive line, which is something that stood out to me as well. I could tell from talking to head coach Sean Payton over the last two weeks that he did his due diligence in evaluating how I could contribute. I also did a lot of homework on the defense as well. While I know that injuries have played a role in performance, I also see areas of potential with a lot of younger guys having the ability to step up. Lastly, it goes without saying that the Saints have an amazing fan base and I look forward to making them proud and creating everlasting memories.” - Per Josina Anderson via Twitter.