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The Detroit Lions are signing running back Adrian Peterson to a 1-year contract and this is a deal that makes sense for both sides for a multitude of reasons.
Let’s take a look at why this deal likely happened so quickly.
The most glaring reason is the Lions injury history at the position. Starter Kerryon Johnson has not made it through either of his two NFL seasons without having to be placed on injured reserve. Expected co-starter rookie D’Andre Swift has been banged up in training camp and missed two weeks of valuable experience.
It’s not ideal, we’ll say that,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said of Swift missing time. “There’s a lot on these rookies’ plates right now just in terms of everything’s new for them. Obviously, he’s trying to pick up a whole new offense and we did not have the offseason… It’s one thing to see them on paper, it’s one thing to see them on tape, but it’s another thing to go out there and actually execute what you’re supposed to execute, make the decisions that you’re supposed to make at a quick level, and he’s missing all those different reps.”
As a 13 year veteran, Peterson can help Swift get up to speed with the playbook, while also providing the Lions with insurance in the health department. Peterson has only missed one game due to injury in the last two seasons and rushed for 898 yards in 2019 and 1,042 yards in 2018.
Peterson is also a terrific scheme fit, which should be no surprise after he began his NFL career playing four years (2007-10) under Bevell in Minnesota. Peterson can run between the tackles, catch passes out of the backfield, and is one of the best in the NFL as selling play action — something Matthew Stafford also excels at and is a staple in the Lions scheme.
At age 35, Peterson’s days of being a workhorse back are likely behind him – he was comfortable in a complementary role last season in Washington — and with the Lions taking a running back by committee approach to their backfield, he should fit in nicely into a three-back rotation.
While entering into a three-back rotation may seem like a downgrade for Peterson, the Lions situation will still afford him plenty of touches.
The Lions scheme relies on a power back and neither Johnson nor Swift are expected to fill that role. Currently, Bo Scarbrough is filling that role but the majority of those snaps — if not all — are now expected to shift to Peterson. Add in Scarbrough’s long injury history with Johnson and Swift’s, and it’s clear why the Lions are taking a collective approach to the position.
At the end of the day, the Lions are getting a veteran back with scheme experience who has been healthy the last two seasons and upgrades a position they desperately want to rely on. Peterson gets to step into a familiar situation, won’t be expected to carry the load, but will still have plenty of opportunities to get touches and extend his career.
Win-win.