Adrian Peterson could not have made a better impression in his debut with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had no choice but to ask himself what could have been as he watched A.P. shred the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense.
When asked about Peterson rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns just days after being traded, Fitzgerald had some high praise for his new teammate.
“I wish he’d have been here 11 years from the beginning,” Fitzgerald said, according to the Cardinals’ official website. “I’d have a Super Bowl ring already. But having him here, his leadership, his demeanor in the huddle, I think it’s reinvigorating everybody.”
Peterson ran for just 81 yards on 27 carries in his brief time with the New Orleans Saints. It was obvious he was a poor fit for Sean Payton’s offense, but it was still fair to wonder if the 32-year-old simply can’t run with the explosiveness he once could. He wasted no time turning back the clock on the opening drive of Arizona’s 38-33 win on Sunday, rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown on his first four carries.
“I feel good. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” Peterson told reporters, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “Once I got that call on Tuesday, I was rejuvenated.”
The Cardinals improved to 3-3 on the year, and they have been struggling since David Johnson went down with a wrist injury. If Peterson continues to look the way he did on his first touchdown run with Arizona, he should be able to fill some of that void.
