Redskins reach deal with Peterson to fill void at running back
ASHBURN, VA. — The Washington Redskins addressed their running back woes by adding a bigname veteran Monday: Seventime Pro Bowler Adrian Peterson. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the 33-year-old is expected to sign a one-year deal, pending a physical.
Peterson spent 10 seasons in Minnesota before splitting time in New Orleans and Arizona during 2017. The former 1,000yard rusher signed a two-year deal with the Saints but was traded to the Cardinals on Oct. 10 and released at the end of the season.
But despite his accolades — Peterson, a fourtime all-pro selection and 2012 National Football League MVP, is 12th on the all-time rushing yards list — he remained unsigned after posting only 529 rushing yards in 10 games last year.
But after working out for the Redskins on Monday, “AP” is set to be in D.C., at least for one season.
Roughly two hours before news of Peterson’s imminent signing broke, the Redskins’ secondround pick, rookie running back Derrius Guice, tweeted a photo from a Florida hospital, where he’s set to have knee surgery.
The promising playmaker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first quarter of the Redskins’ pre-season opener in New England.
And over the past two weeks, the position group has been dealt more injury blows.
Samaje Perine (sprained ankle) and Byron Marshall (lower leg) were injured in Washington’s second pre-season game against the New York Jets and rookie Martez Carter was waived with an injury designation on Saturday. That left running backs coach Randy Jordan with only three healthy players in practice last weekend: Rob
Kelley, Chris Thompson and Kapri Bibbs.
The Redskins also hosted former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and former New York Giants running back Orleans Darkwa for workouts, but didn’t sign either.
Following Sunday’s practice, head coach Jay Gruden said he wasn’t looking for a starter but wanted more depth at the position.
“We want to bring them in to get physicals on them just in case,” Gruden said, when asked about Charles and Peterson. “Like I said, we have had very (unlucky) situations with our running backs with obviously Guice and Marshall and Samaje.
“If something else happens, we are going to be really, really, really thin. So we just want to make sure we are covering all our bases right now.”
Peterson has amassed 12,276 rushing yards in his career and rushed for a career-high 2,097 during his MVP season in 2012. But the veteran has been beset by injuries since then.
After rushing for 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Vikings in 2015, Peterson has gained 601 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in
13 games over the past two seasons.
Washington opens the regular season on the road against Peterson’s former team, the Cardinals, on Sept. 9.