Adrian Peterson says he wants to play four more seasons in the NFL
The year is 2021. The quarterback takes the snap, turns around and hands the ball off to No. 28, who tears through the line of scrimmage for a big gain. Sound unrealistic? If Adrian Peterson gets his way, we'll be seeing exactly that scenario a few years from now.
According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Peterson said Saturday that he wants to play four more NFL seasons.
Adrian Peterson said he wants to play four more years — Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) February 3, 2018
Peterson has already played 11 NFL seasons and become one of the most accomplished running backs in the history of the league. He's led the NFL in rushing yards three times, rushing yards per game four times, and rushing touchdowns twice.
He's made seven Pro Bowls and four appearances on the All-Pro first team. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2012. He's 12th on the NFL's all-time rushing yardage list, and he's all but assured of cracking the top 10 if he plays next season. Eight more rushing touchdowns will move him into the top five.
From the day he entered the league, he was an outright star, and he continued to be one right up until the last couple years. He averaged 1.6 yards per carry before tearing his knee during his final season in Minnesota, and then he had largely underwhelming stints with the Saints and Cardinals during the 2017 season. (He had two incredible games in Arizona, but cracked 30 rushing yards in just one of his four other appearances with the team.)
He'll be 33 years old next season and even if there is a team that's willing to sign him, it's hard to see him holding onto a sizable role.
It's somewhat plausible that he could hang on for four more seasons, but that's likely dependent on his experiencing a renaissance during the 2018 campaign. It's not impossible that said renaissance occurs, but given his age, recent performances, and the general reluctance of NFL teams to entrust large backfield roles to older backs, the safer bet is probably on one of the NFL's all-time greats slowly fading from the league.