According to reports, after trying out with the team on Monday, the Washington Redskins have signed running back Adrian Peterson to a veteran’s minimum deal worth about $1 million.
Peterson has been looking for a place to call home after the Vikings declined to exercise his option in 2016.
Last season, Peterson signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, however, would be traded to the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 10 and released by the Cardinals in March. Now he will get a fresh start in Washington.
“I’m excited,” Peterson said in a statement. “It’s been a long offseason but I’ve been keeping my body in shape and ready for this opportunity. So when this opportunity presented itself, I was just excited.”
While in Arizona, Peterson averaged 3.4 yards per carry. That ranked as the third-fewest yards per rush attempt among players with at least 150 rushes over the past two seasons according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
However, the 33-year-old running back would have two games in which he rushed for 293 yards.
The 11-year veteran has had a hall of fame career. Peterson was a seven-time Pro Bowler in his 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and ranks 12th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 12,276 yards and has tallied 2,015 receiving yards.
Peterson will add depth to a team who is starting to become thin at running back. Washington has already lost Derrius Guice, Samaje Perine, and Byron Marshall to injuries in the Redskins’ first two preseason games.
However, even with the Peterson signing, head coach Jay Gruden stated that Rob Kelley will be team’s week 1 starter.
Besides Kelley, Washington also has Chris Thompson, their third-down back who hasn’t seen any preseason action as he is making his way back from a fibula injury he suffered last season. In addition, Kapri Bibbs is fighting for a roster spot.
“We’ve had very [unlucky] situations with our running backs,” Gruden explained. “If something else happens, we are going be really, really, really thin. We want to make sure we’re covering all our bases right now.”
Redskins’ safety D.J. Swearinger has already welcomed his new teammate:
The Redskins open the season on Sept. 9 at Arizona.
