Minnesota Vikings fans spent 10 seasons watching the talented running back rewrite the NFL record books in front of their eyes.
The now-former Minnesota Vikings star passed a couple of heralded running backs in career rushing yards this past weekend.
Adrian Peterson moved from 14th to 12th on NFL all-time rushing list today. With 79 yards passed Marcus Allen and Edgerrin James and now has 12.276. He’s 3 yards behind Marshall Faulk (12,279) for 11th place and 36 behind Jim Brown (12,312) for 10th Can move into top 10 next week
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) November 27, 2017
Wow, that’s a stacked tweet.
If you were surprised by Edgerrin James’s presence among those names, check out his career stats. Then try and name 12 better running backs.
We are going to set aside Peterson’s checkered past in this article.
He’s paid his dues football-wise, and he certainly belongs on this list. Peterson’s been one of the most productive runners in the NFL for more than a decade.
It’s easy to forget that a few years ago he had his sights set much higher than just passing Edgerrin James. However, after several lost seasons (be it by injury or suspension, and an overall decline in production, the chances of catching Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton have slowly faded.
Peterson left Minnesota this offseason via free agency. He signed on with the New Orleans Saints in late April, where he drew the short-end in a talented but jumbled backfield. They parted ways in October, as Peterson was shipped to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional draft pick.
It’s interesting to note how all three teams have benefited from this saga of transactions involving Peterson.
The Saints’ two-pronged backfield, featuring rookie Alvin Kamara (check out his yards per carry) and Mark Ingram has been far and away the most dynamic rushing attack since Peterson’s departure.
The Cardinals gained a suitable replacement for injured star David Johnson, and Peterson has experienced an uptick in playing time and production compared to his stint with the Saints.
Letting Peterson walk paved the way to the Vikings drafting rookie standout Dalvin Cook. And even with Cook’s season-ending injury, Minnesota has produced a top-five rushing offense in the NFC, mainly thanks to vast improvements along the offensive line.
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It’s not too often that a ‘win-win-win’ situation arises among NFL franchises when dealing a perennial star like Adrian Peterson. The Vikings have been on the butt-end of many similar transactions before (see Herschel Walker, Randy Moss). It’s refreshing to experience a positive return after moving on from a franchise cornerstone.
Peterson will likely crack the top-10 all-time rushing yards list by the season’s end. He has the potential to climb as high as fourth before retirement, depending on how much longer he plans to play (he’s just 1,834 yards behind Curtis Martin).
As a long-time Peterson fan, it’s nice to see him succeed elsewhere.
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It makes it much easier to cheer him on from afar when considering there’s been no drop in productivity from the Vikings’ running back corp, and Minnesota is also in the midst of a possible run at a first-round bye.