Adrian Peterson will turn 35 next month and is now officially what feels like a lifetime beyond the shelf life of an NFL running back, but the Washington Redskins still believe he has something to offer.
On Wednesday, Washington announced that the club option on Peterson’s contract for 2020 has been exercised. He is set to earn a base salary of $2.25 million.
Peterson had another solid season last year, rushing for 898 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, which was his best mark since 2015.
Had Jay Gruden stuck around in Washington, it seems less likely that Peterson would have been back in 2020. Gruden made it clear early in the year that he did not think very highly of Peterson, which led to AP criticizing the team’s offensive approach. Peterson is probably welcoming a fresh start under new head coach Ron Rivera. Now, the question is whether or not he can keep defeating Father Time.
