Vikings Will Stay in Minnesota for the 2012 NFL Season

The Minnesota Vikings will play next season in Minneapolis, according to a report in the Star Tribune.

The Vikings were facing a Wednesday deadline to alert the NFL that they were moving to another city for the 2012 season. However, Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley told the paper on Tuesday that the team will not file relocation papers.

The Vikings had discussed the possibility of moving the franchise if a new stadium wasn't built for them, using some state money, but that push has lost steam at the Minnesota state legislature recently.

Despite the lack of urgency to get a stadium deal, Bagley remains optimistic that a deal will be done soon.

The Vikings have played at the Metrodome since 1982, but their lease at the Dome expired at the end of last season.

As of Wednesday, the Minnesota legislature had not yet introduced a Vikings stadium bill. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has pledged his support for a new Vikings stadium, but acknowledged it's not the state's top priority.

The state legislature has six weeks to hammer out a deal before the 2012 session adjourns on April 10.

Predicting the 5 Biggest 2012 NFL Free-Agent Contracts

When free agency opens on March 13, some of the NFL's most prominent players, including a record-setting quarterback and a former No. 1 overall pick, will be courted by various teams.

It'll be up to those players' agents to create a market for their clients and get the most money possible. Some players will get the offers they want right away, others may have to wait a little longer.

Here are the five players who will land the biggest free-agent contracts this offseason.

Drew Brees
After making just over $7 million in 2011, Brees is headed for a huge payday this offseason.

While Brees is a free agent, no one believes he will leave the the Saints. It'll be up to his agent Tom Condon, the same agent who negotiated Peyton Manning's $98 million deal, to get Brees the best deal possible.

Brees is coming off a record-breaking 2011 season where he passed for the most yards in NFL history with 5,476. He also tossed 46 touchdowns, which was a career-high for him. Brees' career year should pave the way for a monster contract extension.

Brees' six season in New Orleans have been masterful. He has thrown for 28,394 passing yards and 201 touchdowns during that stretch. He has also become the face of New Orleans, helping rally that city back from Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans can't afford to lose Brees. Look for Brees to become the next $100 million quarterback, with $30 to $35 million in guaranteed money.

Ray Rice
The Baltimore Ravens will not let Rice get away, no matter how much money it takes.

Rice is Baltimore's most important offensive player and should get handsomely rewarded this offseason.

Rice has been extremely durable, despite his small stature. In four seasons with the Ravens, Rice has missed just three games and that was during his rookie season. During his career, Rice has scored 29 touchdowns and tallied more than 6,500 total yards. That combination of production and durability should go a long way at the negotiating table.

At age 25, Rice has a long career ahead of him and the Ravens should make him the highest paid running back in the league.

A six-year deal worth $58 to $60 million with $20 to $24 million in guaranteed money would make Rice very happy and keep him in Baltimore for a long while.

Mario Williams
Despite tearing a pectoral muscle in Week 5, and a switch from defensive end from linebacker, Williams showed enough in those five games to earn himself a healthy payday.

In five games last year, Williams had five sacks and one forced fumble. He's the top pass-rusher in this year's free-agent class and he'll get paid like it.

If Williams reaches the open market, expect some team to offer him a long-term deal worth $45 to $50 million with $17 to $20 million in guaranteed money.

Matt Flynn
When Flynn threw from 480 yards and six touchdowns in Week 17 against the playoff-bound Detroit Lions, that sound you heard was a cash register opening up.

Flynn has spent his career backing up MVP Aaron Rodgers, but now is preparing to jettison Green Bay for a starting quarterback gig. Even if Flynn's Week 17 performance was a fluke, he's still looking at a big payday.

There are enough teams desperate for a quarterback that Flynn will get a lucrative deal, even though he's played just a couple NFL games.

Look for Miami, Cleveland, Seattle and Washington to pursue Flynn this offseason. The logical choice might be Miami now that former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is the Dolphins new head coach.

Flynn turns 27 this summer, so he still has plenty of years ahead of him. His age, along with his upside, should garner a lucrative contract in the offseason.

Carl Nicks
Nicks' name may not be as recognizable as Drew Brees' or Marques Colston's, but he's just as important to the Saints offense. Nicks is a young offensive guard and will be highly sought after he hits the open market.

Nicks is just 26 years old and has started all but three games during his four-year career in New Orleans. At 6'3" and 343 pounds, he's big, strong and dominates in the middle for the Saints offensive line.

In the open market, Nicks could be looking at a Steve Hutchinson-type deal which was seven years worth $49 million.

5 Teams That Will Be Looking for Quarterbacks This Offseason

One of the major details of last year's NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was the advent of a rookie wage scale. What a wage scale did is give teams the ability to take more risks with their first-round picks.

Prior to a rookie wage scale, rookies were cashing in at a rate that was unsustainable for franchises. Teams were making a significant financial investment in one player, only to watch that player fail. With that much money tied up in one underachieving player, franchises were being set back. And it was much worse for teams that had that money tied up in a quarterback.

But those days are gone with the new CBA. Teams are more willing to take a chance on a quarterback, especially teams picking in the top half of the first round.

The 2011, four quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks, the most since 1999.

This year, there are a handful of QB-needy teams picking in the top 12. While it's unlikely all of them will use their first-round pick on a quarterback, you can be certain that these teams will be quarterback shopping this offseason.

Here are five teams that need a quarterback and the best signal-caller option for each of them.

Indianapolis Colts
All indications are that Indianapolis will release Peyton Manning before he's due $28 million from the Colts on March 8. Manning's neck injury, which kept him out the entire 2011 season, is a too much of a risk for the Colts to stand pat this offseason.

Last year's 2-14 season by the Colts showed they were not prepared for life after Manning. The Colts have an opportunity to replace Manning this offseason with one of the most complete college quarterbacks in Andrew Luck.

Of all the teams looking for a quarterback this offseason, the Colts have the best situation for fixing their quarterback quandary.

Prediction: Manning will be released. Luck is the Week 1 starter for the Colts.

Washington Redskins
After trying and failing with quarterbacks Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman and John Beck, the Redskins need to address their quarterback situation this offseason.

However, addressing their quarterback needs in the draft may difficult for the Redskins. They currently hold the No. 6 pick, which is after the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns, two quarterback-needy teams.

The belief is that by the time Washington is on the clock, the top two quarterbacks in the draft, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, will be gone.

That leaves Washington with three options: trade up, reach for a quarterback with the sixth pick or sign a free agent quarterback.

The free agent quarterback list is filled with intriguing options for the Redskins. That list includes Packers backup Matt Flynn, the soon-to-be-released Peyton Manning and former Chicago and Denver cast-off Kyle Orton. All would be better options than Washington's current quarterbacks.

The Redskins quarterback situation is so dire that they will likely need to sign a free agent quarterback and draft one as well.

Prediction: The Redskins sign Orton and draft a quarterback in the second-round of the 2012 NFL draft.

Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have a solid running game with Marshawn Lynch, a young and improving defense and enough offensive weapons to be dangerous. However, Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer at quarterback for Seattle.

Jackson's first year in Seattle was very average, which has been the quarterback's calling card his entire career. Jackson simply doesn't have the playmaking ability and poise in the pocket to take the Seahawks to the next level.

Seattle will be one of the teams active in free agency looking for a quarterback. The names you'll here thrown out as possible Seattle quarterbacks in 2012 include Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn and Jason Campbell. All of those player would be upgrades over Jackson.

Seattle also could use its first-round pick on a quarterback, which will be pick No. 11 or 12 pending a coin flip with Kansas City. If Seattle chooses the rookie route, look for Jackson to remain the starter, at least to start the season.

Prediction: Seattle pursues Matt Flynn, but settles on Jason Campbell. They will also draft a quarterback in the second or third round in the 2012 NFL draft.

Cleveland Browns
The Browns thought they had their future signal-caller in Colt McCoy. However, after a challenging second season, where McCoy showed signs of regression, the Browns will be in the market for a quarterback.

Cleveland doesn't need a bridge quarterback; they need a young playmaker. Luckily for the Browns, there's one available and his name is Robert Griffin III.

Griffin III is a versatile quarterback who is expected to be in high demand come April.

The 2012 NFL draft sets up nicely for the Browns, at least it does for now. They currently hold the No. 4 pick and are drafting behind two teams that don't need a quarterback, the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings.

However, where things could get interesting for the Browns is if some team trades up ahead of them and
nabs Griffin III.

Cleveland has two options on draft day: be proactive and trade up to get Griffin III or stand pat and hope he makes it to them at No. 4. While it's too early to predict Griffin III's draft stock, his upside should be enough for the Browns to be all-in.

Griffin III would also bring instant excitement to Cleveland, something sports fans in that city desperately need after the departure of LeBron James.

Prediction: Cleveland drafts Robert Griffin III, and he becomes starter early in the season after McCoy struggles early.

Miami Dolphins
Since Dan Marino retired in 1999, the Miami Dolphins have had 16 different starting quarterbacks. Look for them to make finding a quarterback a priority this offseason, once again.

The hot rumor right now is that the Dolphins will pursue Peyton Manning once he's released by the Colts and is deemed healthy enough to play. However, there's a different option that would make more sense than Manning, and it's a player who has a connection to Miami's new head coach.

Miami hired former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to replace Tony Sparano, which should be enough to fuel speculation about Matt Flynn ending up with the Dolphins.

Philbin and Flynn spent four seasons together in Green Bay and had success in the limited opportunities they had together. The two would be able to take the Packers offense to South Beach in what would be a seamless transition for the duo.

Prediction: The Dolphins pass on Manning and sign Flynn to a long-term deal.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Which Agents Will Be Most Active?

As the NFL season comes to a close, the season for NFL agents is just beginning.

This is their time to earn their money and land their client lucrative contracts.

Now that the offseason has arrived, here are the agents that will be busiest in the days and weeks leading up to the opening of free agency on March 13, 2012.

Tom Condon
Condon is one of the most powerful agents in the NFL and he has a long list of quarterback clients that includes Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan.

But the two quarterbacks that will keep him the busiest this offseason are Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Condon, who is part of Creative Artists Agency, was the man who negotiated Peyton's $98 million deal, which included a record $34 million signing bonus. It's likely he'll be negotiating on Peyton's behalf again, but this time under much different circumstances.

Most people believe Peyton—and his surgically repaired neck—will be released by the Colts this offseason before he's scheduled to make a sizable roster bonus. It'll be Condon's job to convince other teams that his client is healthy enough to play and is entitled to a hefty payday.

When Condon isn't working on a Manning deal, he'll most certainly be in New Orleans working on a new deal for Drew Brees. Brees is a free agent, but the Saints have intention of letting him leave. It'll be up to Condon to get Brees the best deal without leaving the Saints with no money pay other players.

Ben Dorga
Dogra is partners with Tom Condon at Creative Artists Agency and the duo will be busy this offseason. While Condon will focus on CAA's high-profile offensive clients, Dogra represents two of the biggest defensive free agents.

It will be Dogra's job to get long-term deals for Mario Williams and Brent Grimes.

Despite tearing a pectoral muscle in Week 5 and a switch from defensive end to linebacker, Williams showed enough in those five games to earn himself a healthy payday. In five games, he had five sacks and one forced fumble and Williams, a former first overall pick, is the top pass-rusher in this year's free agent class and he'll get paid like it.

As for Grimes, he's one of the top free agent cornerbacks available. With the league becoming pass-heavy, Grimes and other cornerbacks will continue to get paid.

Another client sure to keep Dogra busy (perhaps the busiest) is Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. Griffin is expected to be one of the most sought after rookie quarterbacks in this year's draft. It'll be up to Dogra to get Griffin to shoot up draft boards.

Joel Segal
Segal and his associates at Lagardere Unlimited Football have one of the most coveted free agent wide receivers on the market in Marques Colston.

The New Orleans Saints wide receiver is coming off a very productive season where he had 80 catches for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also solid in the postseason with 16 receptions, 256 yards and a touchdown.

Segal's toughest job will be convince teams that Colston, who's entering his seventh season, can hold up for 16 games and is worth a long-term contract.

Colston has battled various injuries during his career, including a couple knee surgeries.

The good news for Segal, Colston finished last season strong and will likely be pursued by several teams.

Segal will also get calls about free agent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Green-Ellis was hardly an impact player this season, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, but he did score 11 touchdowns. Some team will covet him as a short-yardage back.

It's Segal's job to find Green-Ellis, who's scored 24 touchdowns the last two seasons, a healthy payday.

Jonathan Feinsod
This year's free agency class includes some solid wide receivers, one of them being Vincent Jackson.

Feinsod, Jackson's agent, should be able to find enough teams to drive up the price for his client.

More good news for Feinsod, the Chargers likely won't place the franchise tag on Jackson but may be willing to offer a long-term deal.

The more teams that want in on the Jackson sweepstakes, the more money he'll get. It's Feinsod's job to get more teams interested.

Pat Dye, Jr.
When Matt Flynn threw from 480 yards and six touchdowns against the Detroit Lions in Week 17, Dye had to have seen dollar signs. Dye represents the free agent backup quarterback, who is expected to jettison Green Bay for a starting quarterback gig.

It'll be up to Dye to convince teams that Flynn's Week 17 performance wasn't a fluke and he deserves a long-term contract and a big payday.

Adisa Bakari
Bakari will try and convince the Chicago Bears to "pay the man." That was the mantra this season in Chicago when discussing Matt Forte's contract status.

Forte is a free agent this offseason and missed out on a long-term deal during the season.

Bakari's job will be convince the Bears that his client deserves a multi-year deal with plenty of guaranteed money.

The Bears are rumored to be considering using its franchise tag on Forte, who missed part of last season with a knee injury. If Forte does get hit with the franchise tag, look for a possible holdout from the Pro Bowl running back. It'll be Bakari's job to prevent that from happening and strike a deal that satisfies both sides.

Drew Rosenhaus
Rosenhaus always seems to be in the news, and don't expect that to change this offseason.

One of Rosenhaus' more prominent clients, DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles, was the target of much scrutiny this season.

Jackson, who is a free agent, was accused by teammates of quitting on the Eagles. It'll be up to Rosenhaus to convince teams that those claims are false and his client is worth a long-term investment.

If Rosenhaus can help Jackson repair his image, he'll help him to a big payday.

Blake Baratz
Baratz is one of the younger sports agents, yet he has one of the most intriguing free agents as a client.

Baratz represents Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, who is far and away the most talented tight end in this year's free-agent class.

However, Finely has some red flags that could keep potential suitors away. During his four seasons in the NFL, Finley has spent a lot of time on injured reserve. He twice injured his knee, forcing him to miss 14 games the last three seasons. Also, Finely struggled with dropped passes this season. He finished with 13 dropped passes on 103 targets.

However, Finley did set career highs with 55 catches, 767 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He's also a matchup nightmare for defenses because of his size and speed.

Baratz will try and convince the Packers to avoid using the franchise tag on Finley and give him a long-term contract.

5 NFL Teams Sure to Crash and Burn Next Season

When you look back on the 2011 season, it's hard to believe the New York Giants are in the Super Bowl.

After a 23-10 Week 14 loss to the Washington Redskins, nobody mentioned the Giants in the playoff discussion. In fact, the loss fueled speculation that Tom Coughlin may be fired.

But as it stands six weeks later, New York is preparing to face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

While the Giants didn't fail like many expected them to, here are five teams that are sure to crash and burn next season.

Denver Broncos
The Broncos were one of the most intriguing stories of 2011. Led by Tim Tebow and a fierce defense, Denver won the AFC West and a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite a successful season, the Broncos have the look of a team that could take a big step backwards in 2012.

The first order of business for the Broncos is to decide if Tebow is their long-term answer at quarterback. Tebow's success was well documented this season, but questions remain about his passing skills. If his consistency and accuracy don't improve, Tebow may find himself on the bench.

The other big issue facing the Broncos is how are they going to replace their aging stars. Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey have been great for many years, but both missed time this year with injuries. When those guys are out of the lineup, the Broncos defense was much worse.

Also, the Broncos don't have a backup plan if leading rusher Willis McGahee gets hurt. McGahee was their backup plan, but after a brilliant season in 2011, where he rushed for 1,199 yards, McGahee is Denver's best running back.

However, McGahee will turn 31 in October and has a lot of mileage on his wheels. Denver needs to have a backup plan for its backup plan.

Lastly, the Broncos 2012 schedule is brutal. Road games at New England, Baltimore, Atlanta, Cincinnati and home games against New Orleans and Houston are all tough match-ups for Denver. Plus, look for the AFC West to be better in 2012 than it was in 2011, especially the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Broncos aren't going to sneak up on anyone in 2012 and the playbook on how to stop Tebow has been written. Could be a long season in the Mile High City next year.

New York Jets
With a locker room in disarray and faith in their quarterback wavering, the Jets are headed for a long offseason.

After back-to-back AFC Championship Game appears, the Jets finished 8-8 in 2011 and missed the playoffs. As the season slipped away, the questions mounted about the direction of the team.

Mark Sanchez has been the focal point of much criticism, and rightfully so. Sanchez struggled in the final three games of the season, turning the ball over nine times in that span.

While Sanchez did have his share of struggles, the entire Jets offense was a mess. The Jets ranked 25th in the league and too often played like a team trying not to lose rather than trying to win. Ousted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer deserves much of the blame for that, with his offense that Rex Ryan called too complex.

Next year, The Jets will turn the offense over to former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. Sparano will likely bring a run-heavy offense to New York, which all but validates the team's lack of faith in Sanchez.

It also could signal the end of Santonio Holmes in a Jets uniform. Holmes finished 2011 with just 51 catches, not exactly worth the $9 million he made this season. The Jets will have to decide whether Holmes is worth the big money, the risk and the headache.

The Jets defense will continue keep them in games, but their offense is a liability. If the Jets carry last season's slide into 2012, look for a big shake-up in the Big Apple.

San Diego Chargers
Most in the NFL were stunned by San Diego's decision to keep Norv Turner for another season after he failed to make the playoffs.

The Chargers were expected to not only compete for the AFC West, but a Super Bowl as well.

Instead, they finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Talent has never been an issue with the Chargers, it's been their inability to win meaningful games. Under Turner, San Diego is 49-31, but it hasn't won a playoff game since 2008.

The Chargers will be forced to address some important personnel discussions, including whether to re-sign Vincent Jackson and if Antonio Gates is healthy enough to still be Philip Rivers' go-to guy.

Gates has battled a foot injury that past two seasons and Jackson is a free agent.

The Chargers could look a lot different without those two guys in their lineup.

A slow start to the 2012 season could signal the end for Turner and the Chargers' hopes for a return to the playoffs.

Chicago Bears
It's hard to believe the Bears were one game from the Super Bowl a year ago. They of course lost to the Green Bay Packers in that game and failed to make the playoffs this season.

Several of the Bears' key players are getting older, especially on defense. Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and Lance Briggs are all getting up their in age and their play is starting to tail off.

While those players are still very good, they aren't the dynamic forces they once were.

Further complicating things for the Bears this offseason is the departure of two important positions within the franchise. Chicago is currently without a general manager after the franchise fired Jerry Angelo. They also lost offensive coordinator Mike Martz to retirement.

A change in offensive philosophy will take time getting used to, especially for Jay Cutler. Cutler will be forced to learn a new offense, now led by Mike Tice. You can bet Tice's offense won't resemble Martz's system.

Bringing in new front office management isn't easy either, especially when you have the Matt Forte situation staring you in the face. Forte's contract is up this offseason and the Bears must decide what to do. There's a chance they could mess this up and Forte may start the season as a holdout.

The Bears' window of opportunity is closing; it may have already happened.

Buffalo Bills
At one point during this season, the Bills were in first place in the AFC East. It was Week 3, they had just beaten New England and looked like a legitimate playoff contender.

They then proceeded to lose 10 of their last 13 games.

The main concerns for the Bills are their defense and quarterback. Both played inconsistently this season and it led to 10 losses.

Ryan Fitzpatrick played well enough early in the season that Buffalo gave him a $59 million contract. However, a late-season slide by the Bills had many in Buffalo questioning the team's pricey investment.

Fitzpatrick is 15-23 as the Bills starter during his career and makes too many mistakes in crucial situations. He's not reliable enough for the Bills to win consistently.

Still, as bad as the Bills offense was during a seven-game losing streak last year, the defense was worse.

During that seven-game streak, the Bills were outscored 224-100 by their opponents.

They have since fired their defense coordinator and moved former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins head coach Dave Wannstedt into that position. Wannstedt will be in charge of rebuilding a defense that is still several years away from finished product.

Buffalo had the look of a team headed in the right direction, but don't bet on it next year.

Dumbest Quotes in NFL History

It's no secret, most NFL players aren't Rhodes Scholars.

For most of them, college was a means to their professional football ends. So it's not surprising when you hear dumb things come out of their mouths.

While most sports quotes are boring and cliche, every once in a while there is a gem that stands the test of time. And not in a good way.

Here are some of the dumbest quotes in NFL history.

"It's modern-day slavery." ~Adrian Peterson

In March 2011, Minnesota Vikings running back compared the NFL to slavery when discussing the NFL lockout.

Peterson was referring to the amount of money the owners made and how much players were getting paid.

Peterson eventually apologized for his comment saying, “I regret using those words because obviously there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you can compare to slavery.”

He also claimed the quote was taken out of context.

“It was [taken] out of context and it was on me for putting it out there to make it available to be taken out of context,” Peterson said.

In September, Peterson signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the Vikings.

"It's a humbling thing being humble." ~Maurice Clarett

In February 2005, Clarett turned out a disappointing performance at the NFL Combine and dropped this memorable line on the media during his post-workout news conference.

The former Ohio State running back was eventually drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft.

Clarett would be humbled again just months after the draft when the Broncos released him.

Then in 2006, Clarett was humbled again when he was thrown in jail for robbery. He was released from prison in April 2010.

"I wanna kiss you. I couldn’t care less about the team struggling. What we know is we can improve. Chad Pennington, our quarterback, missed the first part of the season, and we struggled. We’re looking to next season. We’re looking to make a noise now, and I wanna kiss you!” ~Joe Namath

For many years, Namath was best known for making good on his guarantee that the New York Jets would upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3. That was until he met Suzy Kolber.

In December 2003, Namath was being interviewed by Kolber during the New York Jets-New England Patriots game when he made a pass at the sideline reporter.

The pro football Hall of Famer admitted that he had been drinking before the interview and apologized to Kolber for the comment.

For a younger generation that never saw Namath play, this is now what he's known for.

"I Play When I Want to Play." ~Randy Moss

Randy Moss has provided football fans with plenty of memorable performances during his career. But as good as Moss was, he earned a reputation for being lazy and disinterested.

In November 2001, Moss made the comment that made him one of professional sports' easiest players to hate. While it may have been taken out of context, he never defended his comment and the quote lived on.

Here was a pro football player, who was just months removed from signing an eight-year, $75 million contract, saying all the wrong things.

That quote stuck with Moss his entire career and still to this day reminds many of how selfish pro athletes can be.

"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings." ~Torrin Polk

Okay, this isn't an NFL quote, but it deserves a spot on this list.

In October 1991, the University of Houston wide receiver was discussing his new head coach, John Jenkins, when he dropped this line.

While the back story of this quote is difficult to track down, it's clear what he was trying to say.

Fortunately for us, while he was trying to explain the level of mutual respect between players and coach, he gave us one of the funniest sports quotes in history.

Other Quotable Notables:

-“I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.” ~George Rogers, running back, New Orleans Saints

-“People say I’ll be drafted in the first round, maybe even higher.” ~Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, running back, New Orleans Saints

-“Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” ~Joe Theismann, quarterback, Washington Redskins

Adrian Peterson's Post-Surgery Twitter Pictures

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson underwent successful surgery Friday to repair the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee.

The Vikings said the surgery was a success and Peterson was "resting comfortably."

Well, we now have the pictures to prove it.

On his Twitter account Sunday night, Peterson posted a series of pictures from his hospital bed.

The first post read:

My time bringing in the New Year was great! Thanks to family & a lil Blue Bell country ice cream

The second post read:

HAPPY NEW YEAR FANS & FAMIlY!!!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I'd say Peterson is in good spirits.

Peterson underwent surgery six days after taking a hit to his knee in Week 16 against the Washington Redskins.

The injury is expected to require 8-9 months of recovery time.