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If running back Adrian Peterson returns to the Vikings, he may have some explaining to do to the guys responsible for opening up his running lanes.

Peterson’s father, Nelson, recently praised Oakland’s offensive line and likewise threw shade at Minnesota’s. Vikings guard Alex Boone didn’t appreciate that.

“Some of the comments that were made about the offensive lines elsewhere and about our offensive line — and once again we’re throwing low blows again and I’m not sure everybody understands the situation and really wants to go that route,” Boone said in an interview with PFT Live that will be broadcast on Thursday. “You know what I’m saying? I mean sometimes we get it guys, everybody’s pissed off, let it go, OK? Everybody’s in the same boat; we’re all pissed. Nobody made it to the playoffs on our team, everybody’s upset about that. So can Adrian help us? Absolutely. He can help any team and he’s a great running back one of the greatest but sometimes I wish guys would just think more before they say things because sometimes you regret the things you say and there’s two things you can’t take back, Florio: Bullets out of a gun and words out of your mouth.”

Said Nelson Peterson last week: “What we personally like is [the Raiders’] offensive line. The offensive line, they haven’t been playing around. They haven’t been trying to get offensive linemen from the bottom of the barrel and trying to make them into something.”

So if Adrian returns to the Vikings, will he need to smooth things over with his teammates?

“Maybe,” Boone said. “Maybe guys are just upset about it. I think, my perspective, I’d like some clarification on that. If you’re a leader then, you know, you say it don’t let other people say it. . . . If you got something to say, you say it. Be a man about it.”

None of that will matter until the Vikings say “we want you” to Peterson and they offer enough to get him to say, “I’ll take it.” But if Peterson indeed returns, the guys from the supposed “bottom of the barrel” blockers may not be immediately rolling out the red carpet.