It seems almost hard to believe, but over a week into NFL free agency and Adrian Peterson has not found a home yet. The Minnesota Vikings all-time leading rusher is still looking for a new home after the Vikings made it clear that they are moving on. ESPN reports that former teammate Cordarrelle Patterson is now actively recruiting him to come to the Oakland Raiders.
Adrian Peterson’s NFL career
Adrian Peterson was one of the greatest running backs in the NFL for much of the last decade. He sits in 16th place all-time for rushing yards (11,747) and 10th in rushing touchdowns (97).
He might rank higher but he spent 2014 suspended from the NFL and 2016 injured. He has led the NFL in rushing three times over his career with the Minnesota Vikings, including 2012 when he ran for 2,097 yards one year after tearing his ACL. While there are concerns about his injuries in 2016, Peterson proved that he is a bounce back player. The last time he led the NFL in rushing was in 2015, one year after his year-long suspension. On top of injury concerns, another reason Adrian Peterson might still be on the market is because he is 31, although he believes that he can play into his late 30s.
Oakland Raiders’ interest in Adrian Peterson
The interesting thing about Cordarrelle Patterson’s desire to have Adrian Peterson join the Oakland Raiders is that the Minnesota Vikings chose to replace Adrian with Raiders’ 2016 starting running back Latavius Murray.
After the Vikings signed Murray away from the Raiders, they announced that they would not look at bringing back Peterson in 2017. Last year, Murray ran for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns in Oakland. Peterson would be an immediate upgrade for the Oakland Raiders but it would require the team to meet his asking price. Oakland has also hinted at wanting to bring Marshawn Lynch out of retirement as well. However, Coradelle Patterson knows Adrian almost as well as anyone and had his most successful years with the Vikings when Peterson was healthy and taking attention off the passing game.
