Adrian Peterson Passes Bettis, Tomlinson for Sixth All-Time Leading Rusher
Washington Redskins running back and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson has done it again, as he passes Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis and LaDainian Tomlinson for career rushing yards. Peterson now stands at sixth all-time after this play against the Minnesota Vikings, his former team, on Thursday night.
Since joining the Redskins in 2018, just before the start of the season, Peterson had surpassed a total of four different rushers. Peterson passed Jim Brown in the first game of the season and passed Eric Dickerson in week 16 game, against the Tennessee Titans.
Now that Peterson stands at 6th on the list, his next opportunity to move up the list will come in around 400 yards, with Curtis Martin just ahead of him.
That will likely be Peterson's goal and considering how the offense has changed since the Redskins organization fired head coach Jay Gruden, he could pass that record within the next four games. After Gruden's firing, interim head coach Bill Callahan has put emphasis on a better and larger run-game scheme. That change has shown, as Peterson rushed for 118 yards against the Miami Dolphins and 81 yards against the San Francisco 49ers.
After battling several injuries during his time as Minnesota Viking, he signed with the New Orleans Saints but was there for a short period of time. He was traded from the Saints to the Arizona Cardinals, where he didn't have a huge impact before being placed on injured reserve. After signing with the Redskins in August of 2018, Peterson showed the league and the fans that he still had it in him.
He was brought back on a one-year contract for the 2019 season, but it is unclear what lies ahead for him. As of now, he is the starter until Redskins running back Derrius Guice returns from his injury. But will he play another season, or will he hang up the cleats?