Adrian Peterson had 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, the last full season he played. On Sunday, he had four yards on four carries against the Dolphins. He’s barely a factor in the Saints offense, and it raises the question: Is Peterson’s NFL career nearing its end?
Is there really a place for Adrian Peterson in the Saints’ offense?
Peterson is barely a factor on the field for New Orleans.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The writing was on the wall in Week 1, when Peterson just played nine snaps in a loss to his former team, the Vikings. His role hasn’t changed since then. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram are still taking the bulk of New Orleans’ snaps, and when Peterson is on the field, he’s not doing much.
”Of course, anger has always been a part of it. When you’re a competitor like I am, you’re angry when you’re not in there,” Peterson said, via ESPN’s Mike Triplett. “But you’re happy for the guys that are in there when they’re being successful and able to accomplish good things.”
There were questions about whether or not Peterson still had it, even before he signed with the Saints. He visited with a few teams after the Vikings didn’t pick up his option for the 2017 season, but didn’t catch on anywhere. He’s 32, he was coming off of knee surgery, and he averaged just 1.9 yards per carry over the three games he was able to play for the Vikings last year.
But the Saints were optimistic. And Peterson would theoretically have less wear and tear than other backs his age. A suspension in 2014 and last year’s meniscus tear meant he essentially only played one full season over the past three seasons. And Peterson has a history of bouncing back from injury. He tore his ACL in 2011 and returned to the field in 2012 and led the league in rushing with 2,097 yards and 11 touchdowns.
His time with New Orleans hasn’t led to a resurgence. Ingram is still the team’s primary back, and he’s averaging four yards per carry with 170 total yards. Kamara is second on the depth chart, with 83 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Peterson’s 81 yards on 27 carries works out to three yards per touch.
The Saints have won two in a row, and winning does help, Peterson said.
“But of course, being the type of player that I am, knowing I have so much left in the tank, it’s rough,” Peterson said. “So at the end of the day, I know that things will work out in some type of way. I don’t know how things will unfold. But things will get figured out.”
Right now Peterson sees his role as that of a mentor to the to the other backs on the roster. And he said that Ingram and Kamara’s familiarity and fit with the Saints’ offensive scheme makes a difference.
“It’s the system that they’re used to,” Peterson said. “I just do my part, talking to Mark [Ingram] and [Alvin Kamara] when I see things they might have missed. I’m just trying to be that leader as of now.”
Peterson’s two-year, $7 million contract with New Orleans is lopsided compared to the number of snaps he’s playing. The most he’s been on the field in any single game for the Saints was 15 snaps against the Patriots in Week 2. He had eight carries for 26 yards.
Kamara is a big-play threat on the ground and as a receiver. Ingram is well-rounded and reliable as a runner, receiver, and a blocker.
Peterson says he believes “things will work out in some type of way.” But it’s clear that Peterson’s the odd man out in this backfield.
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