Adrian Peterson needed only one regular-season game with the New Orleans Saints to get the trade rumor mill rolling yet again. The 32-year old running back found himself in an odd situation with his new team following a tense moment with head coach Sean Payton in the Saint’s 29-19 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Peterson, who ended his 10-year tenure in Minnesota to sign a two-year, $7 million deal with New Orleans last spring, had a lackluster debut with the Saints as his former team managed to hold him to 18 yards on six attempts.
The former NFL MVP just played nine out of the Saints’ 62 snaps, and frustration from the lack of playing time apparently triggered him to confront his coach.
Although both Peterson and Payton quickly downplayed any possible rift between them, that awkward moment on the Saints sideline proved to be enough to ignite a barrage of trade rumors involving the veteran running back. As usual, journalists and pundits seized the opportunity to give their two cents on the situation. Speculations can get over the top sometimes, but there are instances in which assumptions make some sense.
Running with the Giants
Charles Woodson was one of several football personalities who openly criticized Payton for ‘benching’ Peterson formost of the game.
The former All-Pro defensive back called the move a travesty and disrespect to one of the greatest running backs in NFL’s history during half-time of "Monday Night Football," per Josina Anderson of ESPN.
Woodson believes the Giants may still have interest in Peterson. New York was one of the top suitors for the running back in free-agency but they opted to use their resources for young backs like Paul Perkins, Orleans Darkwa, and rookie Wayne Gallman.
The Giants’ lack of offensive firepower was evident in their 19-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend.
Hungry Lions
Another team that entered into the Peterson’s speculation game is the Detroit Lions. FanSided writer Steven Mullenax claimed bringing in an established rusher like AP would seem logical given their current running back corps are not ready to step up their game.
After suffering a foot injury last season, third-year rusher Ameer Abdullah struggled in the Lions’ 35-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals, as he just ran for just 30 yards on 15 attempts.
With the Lions boasting a much improved offensive line, Peterson would have put up better numbers than Abdullah could provide. Moreover, a double edged offense with quarterback Matthew Stafford would certainly be fascinating to watch.
