Posted on October 10, 2017, by Travis Pulver
When Adrian Peterson signed with the New Orleans Saints, he envisioned playing much more than a few plays a game. He was one of the greatest running backs in the modern era of the game. Yeah, he’s battled injuries in recent years, but he’s overcome them.
Well, not the latest one; at least, not yet.
Via @Anaruthlin
He had hoped to show he could overcome the injury that ended his 2016 season early as part of the committee in New Orleans. But it quickly became apparent that the committee in New Orleans was Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara.
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He realized that. While he didn’t like having such a small role, he realized there wasn’t much he could do. He just had to do his best when he got a chance and be a good teammate.
“When you’re a competitor like I am, you’re angry when you’re not in there. But you’re happy for the guys that are in there when they’re being successful and able to accomplish good things,” Peterson said last week (ESPN). “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.”
As luck would have it, they may turn out rather well for Peterson. The Saints apparently realized they didn’t need him, but they knew of someone who could— the Arizona Cardinals.
So, they traded him to the Cardinals.
Much was expected of Cardinals running back David Johnson this season, but he was knocked out for the season in Week One. Arizona tried to plug Chris Johnson back into the equation, but CJ2K hasn’t been able to find the magic he once had.
The Rams and Seahawks stand on top of the NFC West at 3-2. But the Cardinals are just a game back at 2-3 and have yet to play either team. If the Cardinals can get their act together on offense, there is still a chance for them to make a run.
The question now is whether Adrian Peterson can give one to them. Cardinals general manager Steve Keim sure hopes so.
“We are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve our team, and we look at this as one of those opportunities,” he said in a release (ESPN). “What Adrian has accomplished in this league is well-established. Our need for a spark in our running game right now is also obvious, and we are excited to give him the chance to provide that.”
Via @Deadspin
Of course, past success doesn’t necessarily correlate with future success. That much was evident in what little he played before his injury last season. If he had played like the Adrian Peterson of old, the Saints wouldn’t have been willing to trade him. Running backs often experience a massive drop after they hit their 30’s.
But with Chris Johnson going nowhere fast (and now cut), the Cardinals needed to do something. Arizona’s offensive line isn’t the greatest, but Peterson will get regular carries in their backfield. Maybe with the chance to work out the kinks, he can find his mojo once again.