With less than a week until the NFL Combine gets underway in Indianapolis, the Washington Redskins have announced that they have exercised the 2020 club option on RB Adrian Peterson’s contract.
The move is another example of how the Redskins are conducting business these days with new coach Ron Rivera leading the way.
After his introductory speech as head coach, there was a moment when Rivera and Peterson, who was sitting in the front row of the press conference, met and shook hands. That handshake and kind words said by both men was one of mutual respect.
Rivera issued the following statement regarding Peterson and the team bringing the future Hall of Famer back into the team’s locker room.
“Adrian Peterson is the epitome of what it means to be a pro in this league,” said Rivera. “Adrian’s leadership and passion towards the game of football will set an example of what is expected of the players in this program moving forward.”
🗣 Still going strong!!! Let’s get to work #AllDay 🔋 pic.twitter.com/J1OV9GcvaD
— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) February 19, 2020
Last year as a team captain, the seven-time Pro Bowler led Washington in attempts (211), rushing yards (898) and rushing touchdowns (5).
Peterson, 34, currently ranks No. 8 in rushing attempts (3,036), No. 5 in rushing yards (14,216), No. 4 in rushing touchdowns (111) and No. 6 in yards per game (86.7) in NFL history. Peterson needs 1,054 rushing yards to pass Barry Sanders for No. 4 all-time and he needs 13 rushing touchdowns to pass Marcus Allen for No. 3 all-time in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, respectively.
Peterson will be entering his 14th season and is a seven-time Pro Bowler. The former Oklahoma star has been named First-Team All-Pro four times and Second-Team All-Pro three times and is a three-time rushing leader. He was named the NFL MVP in 2012 after finishing the season with 348 carries for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns and was nine yards away from setting the single-season NFL rushing record. He is the last running back to capture the MVP award and is only the fourth to do so in the last 20 years.
Peterson was also named the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner at NFL Honors and was also honored by the local media with the Good Guy Award, which is given to a Redskins player who treated the media with respect, professionalism and went above and beyond to help them do their job.