Adrian Peterson did not find a 2018 landing spot until mid-August, but his Redskins work last season was not the only catalyst for his contract to be finalized much earlier this year.
Both the Bears and Jaguars were in on the Peterson market, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. This likely drove up Peterson’s price. Via the two-year, $8MM deal Washington authorized, the soon-to-be 34-year-old running back is in line to make nearly four times the veteran-minimum money he earned in 2018.
Peterson played quite well in spurts for the 2017 Cardinals, who featured a bottom-tier offensive line, but scant interest came his way last year. On a 2018 Redskins team that saw their line decimated, Peterson still eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards — his eighth such season. He became only the fourth running back to exceed 1,000 yards in his age-33 season (John Henry Johnson, Franco Harris, Frank Gore). Only two — Johnson and John Riggins — have ventured into four-digit territory past age 33.
While Peterson is unlikely to replicate his 1,042-yard season, with Derrius Guice expected to be healthy by Week 1, he will still be in position to add to his Hall of Fame career.
The Bears still have Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen under contract but added Mike Davis early in free agency. The Jaguars feature a less settled running back situation, having cut Carlos Hyde and potentially in line to lose T.J. Yeldon as a free agent. Only 2018 seventh-round pick David Williams resides behind Leonard Fournette, so Jacksonville will be adding to its backfield in some way soon. But Peterson opted for familiarity by staying in Washington, as he said previously he’d hoped to do
If he had not lost 2 seasons to injury and one to playing for NO/Ari he would have been the career rushing leader by retirement.
He lost only the 2016 season (well, 13 games) to injury. He was suspended for all but the first game of the 2014 season.
Why would the bears be in on him ? He isn’t any good in the pass game and is older than Howard it makes zero sense
Agreed
I actually like that our Bears made him an offer. A classy move that showed respect for a guy that ripped us twice for over 200 yards.
Because Howard sucks
Two teams that seem to want out of their rookie scale RBS in the worst way for no good reason.
Exactly ride out the cheap contract while you can and draft another one late
Jordan Howard is on the downside of his career already. Yards per carry has been going down every year plus he can’t block or catch passes which is a requirement to play in Nagys offense bb
Nice to see Bears in on him so they were trying