Move to Cardinals will determine what Peterson has left
It was only a matter of time before Adrian Peterson's stint with the New Orleans Saints came to an end.
The veteran running back isn't used to receiving less than seven carries per game, and signing with the Saints was a curious move from the start, so Tuesday's reported trade to the Arizona Cardinals was anything but unexpected.
Peterson noted after his debut with New Orleans that he didn't sign up for nine snaps, and he figures to have a much bigger workload in the desert with David Johnson sidelined. The Cardinals are dead last in the NFL in rushing, averaging a measly 2.6 yards per carry, so Arizona will likely lean on Peterson to rectify that.
Arizona's backfield is as crowded as it was in New Orleans, but far less talented. Andre Ellington hasn't delivered on a once promising career, Kerwynn Williams doesn't have the talent to be a No. 1 back, and Chris Johnson was released Tuesday, so nothing is standing in the way of Peterson getting the ball with regularity.
The question is: Can he recapture his All-Pro form?
Conventional wisdom says no, as he's 32 and has suffered multiple significant injuries during his career, including a meniscus tear that cost him 13 games a year ago. The counterpoint is that Peterson should be relatively fresh for a back his age, considering he missed the majority of the 2014 and 2016 campaigns.
His 27 carries this season isn't enough of a sample size to see what the veteran has left to offer, especially when he posted more than 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in his last full season in 2015. It's also important to remember Peterson was named MVP in 2012, only eight months after tearing his ACL and MCL, so he has rebounded from greater challenges.
He'll now get possibly his last chance to prove what he has left in the tank. It's not out of the realm of possibility that Bruce Arians will give him 20-plus carries a game since the Cards' rushing attack has been so terrible. What does he have to lose?
There will be closure on Peterson's career either way. The seven-time Pro Bowler is either going to show he's ready for retirement, or that he has what it takes to still play at a high level.
It's clear he's ready for such a challenge based on his frustrations in New Orleans, as well as his response to being dealt to the Cardinals:
New #AZCardinals RB Adrian Peterson in a text to @StaceyDales: "I'm so ecstatic"
- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 10, 2017
Peterson got his wish, now he has to prove he can still play.
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