Adrian Peterson is coming back for another season in the NFL, as the Washington Redskins are signing the former all-pro running back pending a physical according to multiple reports. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network were the first to report the signing.
He’s back: The #Redskins are signing former Pro Bowl RB Adrian Peterson, source tells me and @MikeGarafolo. Immediate help in the wake of a string of injuries at the position. 🔏
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2018
Peterson, 33, will join a Redskins team that has been crushed with a string of injuries at running back. The team lost Derrius Guice, their second-round pick this past spring, to a torn ACL and then lost Samaje Perine for at least one week and Byron Marshall for multiple weeks to ankle injuries in a matter of two weeks.
Head coach Jay Gruden said the Redskins were not looking for a starting running back, more so to have a body or two on the roster to get through preseason at least.
Peterson started six games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 after being traded mid-season by the New Orleans Saints after his role diminished behind Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Peterson rushed for 448 yards and two touchdowns for the Cardinals.
Peterson will have two weeks to impress Gruden and his staff before the team has to trim its roster from 90 players down to 53. With Peterson in Washington, the Redskins now have three fully healthy backs that includes Robert Kelley, the presumed Week 1 starter, and Kapri Bibbs.
Sources tell @granthpaulsen and me that the #Redskins are signing Adrian Peterson, pending his physical
The physical is wrapping now. They have 2 weeks to evaluate him at no financial risk.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) August 20, 2018
Where does Peterson fit in? That answer is not clear, yet. Perine, a fellow Oklahoma alum, is expected to be back by Week 1. Perine led the Redskins in rushing last year with 608 yards. Couple that with the looming return of Chris Thompson, who broke his leg last November, and it’s anyone’s guess if Peterson is just a body or capable of making an impression to make the roster.
I’ve seen the way Adrian Peterson and Trent Williams compete and feed off each other during their workouts in Houston. That energy seems like something Washington’s offense needs after losing Guice.
— Master (@MasterTes) August 20, 2018
Peterson is certainly at the tail end of his career that saw him win the 2012 NFL MVP and be a cornerstone player for the Minnesota Vikings in his 10 years there. Those days are long gone but depending on what’s left in the tank, Peterson has the capability to contribute for the Redskins. Only time will tell whether Peterson’s stay in D.C. is just a couple of weeks or longer.
