Age 36, Adrian Peterson joins Seahawks with goals ‘to inspire.’ How will they use him?
Adrian Peterson was grooving to Stevie Wonder blaring from the speakers off the walls of the Seahawks’ indoor practice field.
No, he’s not that old. Peterson was actually born three years after the 71-year-old Wonder recorded his “Do I Do” hit.
That was in 1982.
What’s left for the future Hall of Famer to accomplish?
“Winning the championship,” he said.
Then why did he sign with these sunken Seahawks?
Why was the NFL most valuable player nine years ago for the Minnesota Vikings taking handoffs from Russell Wilson for the first time with Seattle as already the tallest, sleekest-looking 36-year-old running back in Seahawks history Thursday?
Why did the native Texan choose to sign with the practice squad of a 3-8 team, making this the seventh club of his 15-year career?
“I got a call Saturday. I was actually getting out of the car in Stillwater to tailgate (at the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State football game), and I got a call from my agent,” Peterson, the former OU Sooners star, said. “He was like, ‘Seattle called. I think they’re interested. How do you feel about it?’”
Peterson felt like he wanted a job.
He’d been released two days before Thanksgiving after 82 yards rushing and one touchdown in three games for Tennessee. The Titans needed him when their reigning NFL offensive player of the year Derrick Henry got hurt. They released Peterson 18 days after they signed him, on Nov. 23.
“I was like, ‘I’ll be good to go.’ Obviously, I still want to play,” Peterson said he told his agent about the Seahawks’ interest. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I know. I just wanted to call. Just doing my job man.’
“That’s kind of how it started and Monday after the game (Seattle’s loss at Washington), some more Tuesday, we kind of talked and was able to finalize everything to get me up here.”
He needs one touchdown to tie legendary Jim Brown for most touchdowns in an NFL career. Peterson is tied with legend Walter Payton with 125 TDs.
He’s not going to get to Jerry Rice’s touchdown record of 207. But he could get into the top 10 all-time in total yards. At 17,376 Peterson is 54 yards from Curtis Martin for 10th place.
Peterson is fifth all-time in rushing yards, with 14,902. He’s 367 yards behind Barry Sanders for fourth.
He got just 54 snaps with the Titans before they released him. He played in only 30% of Detroit’s plays last season, while rushing for 604 yards and seven touchdowns playing all 16 games for the Lions.
He joins Rice and Franco Harris as legends who signed with Seattle for the very ends of their transcendent careers.
Why is he still playing instead of continuing to tailgate and enjoy retired life?
“Just the love for the game. I love the game,” Peterson said. “I feel like I can still compete at a high level. Just having opportunities to help teams, to inspire guys, that’s one of the most rewarding things. When I see guys and they say to me to just keep doing what you’re doing, it’s so inspiring.”
One of those guys was Mark Ingram. The 31-year-old three-time Pro Bowl running back now with New Orleans came up to Peterson when the Saints played the Titans in Nashville, Tennessee, last month. Ingram was giving Peterson rushing tips.
“He was like, ‘Bro, you need to get your shoulders low man. What are you doing?’ I was like, ‘I know,’” Peterson said.
“Then he was like, ‘But you’re inspiring me man.’
“Got released and picked up by Seattle. He was one of the first people that texted me saying the same thing: ‘Keep inspiring.’
“That, and obviously chasing a championship.”
Yeah, about that.
Why Peterson?
The Seahawks are in a position they haven’t been since 2009. That was when Jim Mora was about to get fired for his only season coaching them to a 5-11 finish.
Six losses in seven games has Seattle entering its home match Sunday against division-rival San Francisco (6-5) just trying to win a game.
The Seahawks are without lead back Chris Carson. He is having season-ending neck surgery. Number-two runner Rashaad Penny has been hurt most of this season, again. Penny and third-down back Travis Homer may not play against the 49ers because of injuries, though both returned to full practice participation in a no-pads workout Thursday.
Alex Collins, the fill-in starter for Carson since October, has been playing through a pained abdomen.
These final six games could be time for the Seahawks to see what rookie Josh Johnson can do. They promoted the undrafted running back from Louisiana from the practice squad for Monday night’s game at Washington. He played only on special teams.
Coach Pete Carroll was asked Wednesday while announcing Peterson had signed: Why not give Johnson a chance? Why a 36-year-old who can’t be in Seattle’s plans for 2022, at least not now?
“We’re trying to get ready to win this football game,” Carroll said of the test against the 49ers Sunday. “So, I’m going to see if Adrian’s got something to offer us.
“Just in his presence and his toughness, he brings something. Let’s see what happens. We’re just trying to get the right mix. Rashaad’s been in and out, been concerned about him getting back and staying back. Homer has been banged up, and we’re not sure about him this week either, so it looks like there’s some opportunities.
“I’m just as excited as probably you guys are to see what he looks like playing in our uniform and doing something for us. We’ll see how it goes.”
Wilson knows Peterson
Russell Wilson knows Peterson. He has since he was a rookie quarterback in the 2012 Pro Bowl. That was Peterson’s third Pro Bowl, and his MVP season when he rushed for 2,097 yards for the Vikings.
“I’ll never forget it, Wilson said of that all-star day in Honolulu.
“It was my first practice, so it was Drew Brees, one other quarterback, Eli Manning, and myself. And I’m ready for practice, I got my cleats on, and everybody is ready to roll. Pro Bowl walk-through is really slow, everybody is kind of walking, and it’s just practice. We had played 16 plus games at that point, and everybody knows plays.
“Anyways, Drew is in the huddle, I’m off to the side and about to go in next. And next thing I know, Drew calls ‘18,’ which is a run to the right. Everybody is stepping to the side and Drew drops back to hand it off to Adrian. And he goes full speed.
“I mean, he gets the handoff and goes 80 yards to the end zone at full speed. Drew comes back and as I’m about to go into the huddle, he kind of winks at me, Drew does.
“Adrian runs back to goes, ‘Why do you think they call me ‘All Day’?’”
Wilson is 33 and in his 10th season, his worst yet in the NFL for Seattle. He marvels at Peterson’s longevity, particularly at the position that has the NFL’s shortest career span. The average running back lasts just over 2 1/2 seasons in the league.
“Obviously I have been able to witness his game and what he’s been able to do, but just how he’s gone about practice, how he treats the game, and how he respects the game,” Wilson said. “Think about 15 years in the NFL playing running back. Also, you think about all of the success he’s had, all of the touchdowns he’s had, and all of the plays he’s made.
“I know he’s one away from Jim Brown, so hopefully he can get that. That’s a special thing and a special player. He’s a true pro.”
Wilson said he was at Seahawks headquarters studying for the 49ers game Wednesday night.
So was Peterson.
“I was here last night until about 8:30, 9 o’clock. And I come back down and he’s still here,” Wilson said. “There’s a reason why he’s so great, there’s a reason why he is so focused, so it’s pretty cool.”
That’s what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said after his first practices coaching Peterson Wednesday.
“He came in, and you can see why he’s one of the greatest of all time to play the position,” the Seahawks’ first-year play caller said. “Came right in, worked hard right from the start, from the walkthroughs, in the meetings, treating it like he’s in a new setting, so wanting to absorb and learn all the information.
“A guy like him, he’s been around every type of play there is, every type of run there is. He’s able to pick things up very quickly.”
The Seahawks could promote Peterson from the practice squad for Sunday’s game and return him to the practice squad after it, without him having to pass through league waivers. They can do that twice before they would then have to sign him to the active roster or offer him free agency, per league rules.
Waldron wouldn’t say whether what he saw from Peterson on day one has him in the game plan for Sunday against the 49ers.
“Whichever backs end up rolling in there,” Waldron said.
“He’s jumped right in and taken carries. We’ve spread out the carries throughout those guys, whether it’s Rashaad, Travis Homer, DeeJay (Dalls), and now with Peterson in there, as well.”
The Seahawks are 25th in the NFL in rushing offense averaging 92.5 yards per game. Waldron and Carroll have been talking all season about needing to run the ball more, and more effectively.
It would help Seattle’s debilitating failures on third downs. The offense is last in the league converting just 32.5% of third downs this season.
Now the Seahawks have the best running back of his generation. They — and we — are about to see what he has left.
“I don’t really feel like I showed too much in Tennessee,” Peterson said. “But before I got released, I was feeling like my legs were back under me. I felt like going to the Patriots (game) week, that was the week I was going to blossom. Unfortunately, I got released.
“I feel like there’s a lot I can add to the run game and inspire these young guys, as well. Make those guys work harder. When they see me out there pretty much going full speed during a walk-through (15) years in, that’ll make them kind of pick up their tempo a little more, as well.
“I feel like I’ll be able to add to the running back room and help get this running game going.”
