The Tennessee Titans may have prematurely ended running back Adrian Peterson’s historic NFL career with their most recent roster move.
On Nov. 2, the Tennessee Titans took a chance on 36-year-old running back Adrian Peterson.
On Nov. 23, they took that chance away as the Titans officially waived Peterson from the team.
Peterson signed on as a replacement for Derrick Henry in the wake of a crushing foot injury, but Peterson has been sadly ineffectual in the three games since. Tennessee gave Peterson at least eight carries in each game, but Peterson only managed 21 yards in his first two games before gaining 40 yards on nine tries in Sunday’s loss.
A running back who defied expectations, broke several NFL records, won 2012 NFL MVP and lasted 15 years as an NFL running back may have just seen his last moment on the field.
Tennessee Titans waive Adrian Peterson after disappointing three-week performance
Peterson joined his sixth NFL team this November, marking his fifth team in five years. Since Peterson left the Vikings in 2016, several teams have given Peterson a chance to continue running well into his thirties.
Peterson’s name and past success has carried him far, which is why it was a low-risk option for the Titans to try out. If Peterson produced anywhere near his thousand-yard seasons of glory, it would be the best steal Tennessee could hope for without Henry. Although Peterson would have rivaled Henry at one point, that time was nearly a decade ago. Now, a 36-year-old Peterson was struggling with a little over 2 yards per carry in his first two Titans games.
The Titans are ready to move forward with D’Onta Foreman, who admittedly hasn’t fared much better than Peterson through November. But with Peterson now gone, Foreman can get more carries while channeling a couple passes as well.
The Titans plucked Peterson from free agency and tried him out, but no one has gotten the vintage Vikings Peterson in years. With his latest showing, Peterson may have stepped off the NFL field for the last time of his Hall of Fame career.