Adrian Peterson has made no secret this summer about how much he wants to prove to everyone that’s doubting his ability to keep thriving with a new team at age 32 -- and especially how eager he is to kick off the season against the Minnesota Vikings in his former home on Monday Night Football.

The New Orleans Saints' new running back didn’t shy away from those thoughts in a Sunday article by Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which kicks off a week of hype for what might be the most dramatic reunion matchup of the entire NFL season.

“In my mind, we’re starting and ending the season in Minnesota,” Peterson said -- a reference to Minnesota hosting this year’s Super Bowl. “Of course I want to stick it to them. I want to stick it to everyone we play. But going back to Minnesota, playing the Vikings? Yeah, I want to stick it to them.”

Peterson has talked a lot about how eager he is to see the fans that embraced him for years and to face the defenders who were never allowed to tackle him in practice. Earlier this summer, he got a kick out of learning that his new Saints jersey was the No. 1 seller in Minnesota.

Last week, Peterson reiterated, “Seeing those guys and being in that stadium again for me, personally, it doesn’t get any better than that. And to go down there and get the chance to come out with a W.”

Peterson also talked in detail in the Star Tribune article about why the fit with the Saints and Louisiana has felt so right to him and how his last few years ended in Minnesota with the controversy surrounding his 2014 suspension over child abuse allegations.

Peterson said it was “obvious” that both he and the Vikings needed to move on when they decided not to pick up his $18 million option for this season.

“Whatever floats their boat,” Peterson said. “Whatever Minnesota feels like will advance them, they should go for it. I am.”