Adrian Peterson turned 31 in March, an age that would typically mean the end is very near for a running back, but the seven-time Pro Bowler of the Minnesota Vikings says he's far from finished in the NFL.
Adrian Peterson thinks he can play longer than any RB in NFL history
Peterson believes he can play at a high level until he turns 40, although he thinks he might not love the game as much at 38.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
“I honestly think I can do this, and do it at a high level, till I’m 40,” Peterson told Peter King of Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback.
Playing until he's 40 wouldn't just be impressive -- it would be unprecedented. Just eight players have ever taken a rushing attempt after turning 37 and most were fullbacks. Tony Richardson turned 39 in his final NFL season and finished the year with five carries for 13 yards. But the only two players to ever eclipse 300 rushing yards after turning 36 were Marcus Allen and John Riggins, who played until they were 37 and 36, respectively.
Peterson hedged his bets a bit by saying he’ll probably retire a couple years before he reaches 40 even though he could play that long if he wants to. Via King:
“I can, but will I? Honestly, I don’t think I will. Mentally, I don’t know. Once I get to 38, I don’t think I’ll have the same love of the game. Sometimes I get tired of training camp. I think I can endure five more [camps], but after that, I don’t know.”
Even being productive in 2016 would be an impressive display of longevity. He’s already No. 27 in NFL history in rushing attempts with 2,381 and has some serious injuries in his past, including an ACL tear, a broken collarbone and a hernia that required a couple surgeries to repair.
While he led the NFL with 1,485 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, becoming only the 24th player to eclipse 1,000 yards at age 30, just a handful of players continued to produce after that.
Peterson is No. 17 in NFL history in rushing yards with 11,675 and needs just 605 more to crack the top 10. However, he’ll need 6,681 more to take the top spot away from Emmitt Smith, who played until he was 35.
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