Adrian Peterson fires back at critics who say he can’t catch

Adrian Peterson has never been known as a pass-catching back, but the seven-time Pro Bowler doesn’t appreciate when people say that is due to his inability to catch a football.

On Wednesday, Peterson said he finds it humorous when people say he can’t catch.

“It’s always funny to me. … It’s like a lot of people say, ‘Well, he can’t catch the ball.’ And I’m like, ‘I’ve been playing ball since I was 7 years old, I can catch a football,'” Peterson said, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “I don’t let it frustrate me too much. But I’d be lying to you to say it’s not nerve-wracking to hear people say, ‘He can’t catch the ball. What is he gonna do in this offense because they pass so much?'”

Peterson, one of the most dominant rushers of all time, has just 1,954 yards receiving in his 10-year career. He has not topped 222 yards receiving in a single season since 2010, and he believes that is no coincidence. When Brett Favre was Minnesota’s quarterback in 2009 and 2010, Peterson had his most productive seasons as a receiver (436 yards in ’09 and 341 yards in ’10).

“A lot of quarterbacks, when they go through their progression, they’re stuck on one side. They’re not seeing the backside checkdown or me leaking out in the flat or a back leaking out in the flat,” Peterson said. “You’ve got guys like Favre and Drew Brees who are Hall of Famers, they’re Hall of Famers for a reason. Not only can they throw the ball, but they have other qualities that make them top-tier quarterbacks. … You’ve got a guy who knows what’s going on, he knows every guy’s position and where they’re supposed to be.”

No offense, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater.

While the Saints pass a lot more than most teams, Peterson may not get a ton of opportunities as a receiver. Mark Ingram is an above-average pass-catcher and is great in pass protection, so he’s more likely to be used in that role.

No matter what role Sean Payton has in mind for him, we know Peterson has impressed his teammates based on some of the comments they have made recently. He’ll have plenty of chances to prove his tank is nowhere near empty.