Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden made the controversial decision to keep Adrian Peterson off the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the move reportedly did not sit well with some of the team’s veterans.
Several players in Washington’s locker room were unhappy that Peterson was a healthy scratch, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
From @NFLGameDay: The #Redskins‘ making Adrian Peterson inactive today vs. the #Eagles didn’t sit well with veterans in the locker room. Watch this one. pic.twitter.com/MISX7KoKWU
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 8, 2019
“They understand it’s about special teams and it’s no disrespect toward (Derrius) Guice, but they’re saying, ‘How could you do that to a guy who bailed us out last year and ran for 1,000 yards?'” Garafolo reported. “It’s definitely not sitting well with them and definitely not sitting well with Peterson.”
Gruden has made it clear that Derrius Guice, whom the Redskins drafted in the second round last year before a torn ACL cost him his rookie season, will be the No. 1 back and the focal point of the team’s offense. The coach reportedly wanted to cut Peterson prior to Week 1 but was overruled, but you have to wonder how much longer the two can coexist if Gruden doesn’t plan to use Peterson at all.
Peterson, who is 34 but ran for over 1,000 yards and scored seven touchdowns last season, expected to play a significant role when he signed a two-year deal with Washington this offseason. If you remember, he had an animated disagreement with Sean Payton when he was with the New Orleans Saints two years ago. Many speculated that was about playing time, though Peterson denied it.
