Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has talked about changing jersey numbers, but he revealed today that he decided not to when he found out how much that would cost him.
Peterson said he wanted to switch from wearing 28 to 23, which he thought he could do at the time that Nike takes over the NFL’s jersey license from Reebok. But Peterson has been informed that he’d have to buy back any unsold 28 jerseys that have already been printed, and that could cost $1 million.
“So here is the deal with the number change!” Peterson wrote on Twitter. “So I received a call and I was informed that I would’ve to buy all jerseys that’s been produced Thus far! N the total amount that I would have to pay blew my mind!!!!! Why? Ok so I see maybe ten thousand dollars of my total jersey sales! That’s it!!! In I know I’ve mostly likely been in the top ten When it comes to top sales ! Why in the hell do I have to pay a Million dollars to change my number! I don’t even get paid a million Dollars by my sponsors a year! Wow!!!”
Peterson, who last year compared playing in the NFL to “modern-day slavery,” said he thinks players are getting a raw deal on jersey sales.
“So people may not understand some of the things I say from MY POINT OF VEIW!” Peterson wrote. “But this situation says a lot! #1 I’m in the top jersey sales! # 2 I see maybe 10,000 from those sales #3 I get paid under 1million a year #4 but I oder to change MY numberI have to pay a Million Bucks! Somebody’s winning in that situation & ITs not me! So clearly with that said I won’t be changing my number This years! Pay a mill to change number or keep the mill n continue to wear 28?! That’s a easy one... Hell 28 it is!!! Lol Someone just hit me saying stop crying! Lol I’m sharing my thoughts! I thought that’s what twitter was all about. Anyway I won’t be changing My number for the reason you have in front of you! So someone said! You got it just pay it! You must be smoking something to thing I’ll Waste that type of money just to change a number on my work uniform!”
And so the fans who have bought Peterson No. 28 jerseys can breathe a sigh of relief: Those jerseys won’t become obsolete.
