Adrian Peterson didn’t play in the NFL last season, leading to some believing he has retired from the league. But the 38-year-old running back could be back on the field this fall if the right opportunity presents itself. Peterson recently spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and said he is not ready to announce his retirement from the NFL.
“Mentally, I haven’t officially hung it up. We’ll see what happens,” Peterson said, per CBS Sports. “My mindset is, if God’s willing, maybe an opportunity presents itself, and maybe it happens this season. I’ll go from there. But [if] nothing happens this season, for sure, I will be hanging it up.”
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Peterson last played with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 and rushed for 16 yards and one touchdown in one game. Earlier in the season, Peterson was a member of the Tennessee Titans and rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown in three games. He needs 82 rushing yards to hit 15,000 for his career and 351 yards to tie Barry Sanders on the all-time rushing list.
“[Emmitt Smith] set a standard there,” Peterson said about the rushing record. “You see why it’s been there for such a long time. I feel like I had the great opportunity to do it. Unfortunately, I experienced some hiccups throughout my career, injuries and things like that, just wasn’t able to get there. So I think it’ll stand for a long time. Maybe eventually someone will break it, but when you look at how the NFL is going now, it might not happen. How things are going in the NFL, it’s gonna be hard for someone to really break a record. But I can tell you this: there’s no other person to be holding that spot. Emmitt is a great guy. He inspired so many people, me growing up, being a Cowboys fan. So I got so much love for him.”
Peterson has played for seven teams in his NFL career but spent the majority of his time with the Minnesota Vikings (2007-2016). He won the Offensive Player of the Year and MVP award in 2012 after rushing for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 games. Peterson has been selected to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team seven times, led the NFL in rushing yards three times and is a member of the NFL 2010’s All-Decade Team.
