Report: Titans sign ex-Washington RB Adrian Peterson to active roster

Commanders

Report: Titans sign ex-Washington RB Adrian Peterson to active roster

/ by Bijan Todd

Commanders

One of the greatest running backs of all time is set to hit the gridiron once again.

The Tennessee Titans have elevated Adrian Peterson -- former Washington Football Team running back for two seasons and future football Hall of Famer -- to the active roster after the team signed him to the practice squad on Tuesday, per Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network.

The #Titans are signing RB Adrian Peterson to the active roster today, source says. This is not a weekly practice-squad elevation. This is a permanent move to the active roster. Heâs impressed them that quickly that itâs go time already.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 5, 2021

The move comes as a direct replacement for Derrick Henry, Tennessee’s premier running back who is feared to have suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 8.

Tennessee takes on the daunting L.A. Rams this Sunday night on NBC. The Rams have one of the best defensive units in the league, so it will be interesting to see how Mike Vrabel utilizes the veteran Peterson in his run-heavy offensive scheme.

Peterson, 36, spent the first decade of his career in Minnesota, where he won MVP and Rookie of the Year, was named a Pro Bowler seven times, and led the league in rushing three times. After his career as a Viking ended in 2016, Peterson spent the 2017 season in Arizona and New Orleans before Washington swooped in to sign the RB ahead of the 2018 season.

Peterson proved to defy father time during his two years in Washington. Though Washington wouldn’t make the playoffs in 2018 or 2019, AP rushed for almost 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, hauling in 37 passes for 350 yards and a score as well. Peterson was able to be Washington’s lead back throughout his 31 games in D.C. despite shaky quarterback and offensive line play.

Adrian Peterson's 90-yard touchdown was.....

* Longest rush of his career

* Longest Rush TD in Redskins history.

* At age 33, Peterson is the oldest player with a 90-yard Rush TD in NFL history.@wusa9 @WUSA9sports pic.twitter.com/zbIKbrGC4m
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) December 4, 2018

Washington released Peterson before the start of the 2020 season. He would spend all of that season in Detroit, rushing for 604 yards and seven touchdowns. Now, he lands on a Titans team that has proved to be one of the AFC’s best squads and could finally give Peterson a shot at a conference title.

Peterson is the league’s fifth-highest rusher of all time and easily the league’s active leader in rushing yards. At 14,820 yards, Peterson needs 450 more rushing yards to overtake Barry Sanders at the No. 4 spot. With nine games remaining on Tennessee’s 2021 slate, that could be well within reach.