Saints not interested in trading Adrian Peterson at this time

— -- Despite an already shaky beginning to their relationship, the New Orleans Saints are not interested in trading running back Adrian Peterson at this time, according to league sources.

It doesn't mean the Saints won't wind up listening to offers for the running back closer to the trade deadline, but New Orleans recognizes how effective he can be and that it often takes new players a bit of time to acclimate to an offensive system.

And so, while there are teams around the league such as the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants that could use a running back such as Peterson, no deal is on the horizon. The Saints first would like to try to make their relationship work before ending it.

Saints coach Sean Payton and Peterson were spotted in a sideline exchange Monday night that both coach and player insisted was not heated. Peterson said the public and media reaction was "definitely overdramatized."

Peterson had just six carries for 18 yards on nine total snaps Monday night, as the Saints were forced to abandon the run throughout the fourth quarter of their 29-19 loss.

"I didn't sign up for nine snaps, though. But unfortunately that's the way the game played out," Peterson said Thursday. "In my mind, personally, I knew it was gonna take some adjusting. You know, me and Mark [Ingram] played in the last preseason game, and AK [rookie Alvin Kamara]?didn't even play that game. So with all three of us being out there, I knew it would take a game or so to kind of get adjusted. So we'll see how things [go] this week."

ESPN's Mike Triplett contributed to this report.