Adrian Peterson
Teams
Minnesota Vikings (2007-2016)
New Orleans Saints (2017)
Arizona Cardinals (2017)
Washington Redskins (2018-2019)
Detroit Lions (2020)
Tennessee Titans (2021)
Seattle Seahawks (2021)
Playoffs
Appearances - 4 (2008,2009,2012,2015)
Conf Champ Games - 1 (2009)
Super Bowls - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
Offensive Rookie of the Year - 2007
Offensive Player of the Year - 1 (2012)
MVP - 1 (2012)
All-Pro First Team - 4 (2008,2009,2012,2015)
All-Pro Second Team - 3 (2007,2010,2013)
Pro Bowl - 7 (2007,2008,2009,2010,2012,2013,2015)
All-Time Ranks
Rushing Touchdowns - #4
Rushing Yards - #5
Total Touchdowns - #10
Scrimmage Yards - #11
Rushing Yards per Game - #16
Yards per Rush - #35
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#1-2008,2012,2015, #2-2007, #5-2009,2013, #6-2010, #8-2018)
Rushing Touchdowns (#1-2009,2015, #2-2007, #3-2011,2012, #4-2010,2013, #8-2008)
Yards per Rush (#2-2007,2012, #5-2008, #10-2010)
Rushing Yards per Game (#1-2007,2008,2012,2015, #2-2013, #5-2010, #6-2009, #8-2011)
Total Touchdowns (#1-2009, #3-2010,2012, #6-2007, #7-2011, #10-2015)
Scrimmage Yards (#1-2008,2012, #3-2009,2015, #4-2007, #8-2010)
Yards per Touch (#8-2007)
As a freshman at Oklahoma, Adrian Peterson rushed for 1925 yards and 15 touchdowns, and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He had shoulder surgery after that season, then had foot, ankle, and collarbone injuries over the next 2 seasons, and he decided to skip his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL Draft, where he was taken #7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
As a rookie, Peterson rushed for 1341 and 12 touchdowns, despite missing 2 weeks with a knee injury, and finished #2 in the league in rushing yards while winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He also set the all-time record for most rushing yards in a game, when he ran for 296 yards against San Diego, a record that is still standing today.
Peterson remained great in his second season, rushing for 1760 yards, which led the league, and also finished with 1885 scrimmage yards, also the most of any player. He also got the Vikings into the playoffs that year, but his 2 touchdowns weren't enough for them to advance past the wild card round.
Peterson led the league in rushing touchdowns in his third season, scoring 18 times during the season, and finishing with 1383 yards. He had his deepest playoff run that season, taking the Vikings to the NFL Championship Game, but his 122 yards and 3 touchdowns weren't enough to get them past New Orleans and into the Super Bowl.
Peterson was solid in 2010, finishing with 1298 yards and 12 touchdowns and reaching his 4th straight Pro Bowl to start his career, and he had 970 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011 before going down with a torn MCL and ACL near the end of the season.
Even though he had been injured the previous December, Peterson returned for week 1 of the 2012 season, and he was better than ever. He averaged an amazing 6.0 yards per carry on the season, finishing with 2097 rushing yards, the second-highest total ever, and he also led the league with 2314 scrimmage yards. His efforts earned him the Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP awards for the season.
He was solid again in 2013, rushing for 1266 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he became the 3rd-fastest player to reach 10000 career rushing yards. He started the 2014 season with 75 yards in the first game, but he was deactivated before week 2 when he was indicted for child abuse, and the league ended up suspending him for the entire season.
He was reinstated prior to the 2015 season, and he responded by having his last good season, leading the league with 1485 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and being named to the All-Pro First Team for the 4th time in his career. He injured his knee in the first game of 2016, and didn't play again until December, and he ended up with only 72 yards on the season.
Peterson left Minnesota as a free agent in 2017, signing with New Orleans, but he was traded just a month into the season to Arizona. After 6 games as a Cardinal, he was place on IR with a neck injury and missed the rest of the season, then was released after the season ended.
He signed with Washington for 2018, and had his final 1000-yard season that year, finishing with 1042 yards. He remained with the Redskins in 2019, finishing with only 898 yards, his lowest total for a healthy season, before being released after the season. After that, he played one year with Detroit, then played 3 games with Tennessee in 2021 to fill in while Derrick Henry was injured, then a single game for Seattle. He was unable to find a team to sign him in 2022 or 2023, and is now retired from the NFL.
Peterson was great during his decade with the Vikings, leading the league in rushing yards 3 times, scrimmage yards twice, and touchdowns twice, and even though he was not the same player after leaving the team, he still racked up quite a few yards in his last 5 seasons, which got him up to #5 in all-time rushing yards and #4 in all-time rushing touchdowns. He won a Rookie of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP award in his career, and is easily one of the best to have ever played the game.
