Adrian Peterson had an interesting 2017. Coming into the NFL season, Peterson didn’t get the attention he sought in the free agent market. He landed on the New Orleans Saints but was released a few weeks into the season, only to be picked up by the Arizona Cardinals. Now, a neck injury ends the running back’s season early.
Cardinals placing RB Adrian Peterson on IR with a neck injury, per source. Peterson’s season is over.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 15, 2017
Given that there appears to be a shrinking number of teams that are open to having Peterson’s services, and now questions of a neck injury, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Peterson finds as hard a time finding work this offseason, like the last one.
However, Adrian Peterson doesn’t seem to be contemplating retirement in the least. He told ESPN that his injury will not require surgery, and he has every intention of playing in 2018.
Between the Saints and Cardinals, Peterson’s stat line for 2017 includes 156 carries for 529 yards for two touchdowns to go with an additional 11 catches for 70 yards.
Peterson’s best years obviously came as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He’s also had an interesting last few years. In 2014, he only played in one game before being suspended the remainder of that season. Then, in 2015, Peterson rushed for almost 1,500 yards, before only appearing in three games during the 2016 season.
For his career, Adrian Peterson has 12,276 rushing yards on 2,574 carries (a 4.8-yard average). He’s currently 12th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Based on performance, he’s unquestionably a Hall of Fame running back. But if his suspension is held against him when his name appears on the ballot remains to be seen.
