Adrian Peterson hasn’t even put on pads, and his Saints teammates are raving about him

Adrian Peterson has been a member of the New Orleans Saints for just over a month, but he’s already made a strong impression on his new teammates.

After practice Thursday — the sixth organized team activity (OTA) of the offseason for the Saints — players talked about the 32-year-old running back like he was 22 years old.

“He’s a stud, man,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees told reporters. “He looks the part. It’s been impressive. Obviously, you admire the guy from afar. I’ve played in a few Pro Bowls with him so I do have a little bit of that experience. But there’s something about handing the ball off to that guy and watching him run through the hole and take on anybody who tries to tackle him.

“We’re not in pads right now, but you’re just imagining what it’s going to be like. So, excited for that time to come.”

Oh right ... there is that part. The team isn’t even in pads yet.

Peterson spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, earning seven trips to the Pro Bowl and racking up 11,747 rushing yards and 97 touchdowns on the ground. But he also racked up injuries, including an ACL tear in 2011 and a meniscus tear that cost him most of 2016.

During his short time on the field last season, he managed just 72 yards on 37 carries. Looking impressive in shorts during the spring is one thing, but managing to be effective in the fall is another.

That isn’t stopping the Saints from hopping aboard the hype train:

OTA hype and overreactions are nothing new. And it’s not too surprising that Peterson has impressed eight months removed from the knee surgery that kept him out of 13 games.

So it’s probably a good idea to pump the brakes on the Peterson-for-MVP campaign until at least August.