Adrian Peterson signed a two-year deal with the Washington Redskins this offseason after his surprisingly productive 2018 season, but it remains to be seen if he will play a significant role in the team’s offense this year.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden confirmed on Thursday that Derrius Guice is going to start at tailback against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. However, he did not say whether it will be two or three additional backs on the active roster, and he didn’t rule out Peterson being a healthy scratch.
Gruden plans to start Darius Guice at RB but hasn’t decided whether to dress two more or three more backs. Could need the third back to play teams. Won’t say if Adrian Peterson is the odd man out yet. Still trying to decide.
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) September 5, 2019
Guice was Washington’s second-round pick last year, so you can understand why they want to give him the first shot to lock down the starting job after he missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. That said, there have been rumblings that Gruden is not getting along with Peterson and even wanted to cut him after the last preseason game.
Peterson proved he can still be productive even at age 34 by rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring seven touchdowns last season, but he’s clearly not Gruden’s guy. It will be interesting to see how the situation plays out, especially if Peterson is inactive to open the year.
