Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Breaking down Washington’s running back battle after Derrius Guice’s release

By Jacob Camenker

MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 13: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 13: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 13: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 13: Adrian Peterson #26 of the Washington Football Team runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Current Favorite: Adrian Peterson

There were some questions about whether or not Adrian Peterson would ultimately make the team if all of Washington’s young running backs stepped up and panned out. He could’ve been a trade candidate if a contender lost a top running back and Washington saw growth out of the plethora of young backs that the team had on the roster.

But my goodness, isn’t it nice to have this guy around now?

Peterson is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Throughout his legendary career, he has thrice led the league in rushing yards including a season in which he logged 2,097 yards, the second-most in NFL history. He has been a first-team All-Pro four times and had double-digit rushing touchdowns in eight of his first nine seasons.

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Entering his 14th NFL season, Peterson is still a solid player. He’s not the top-tier talent that he once was, but he has been a good starter for Washington the past two seasons.

Filling in for an injured Guice in each of the past two seasons, Peterson has logged 1,940 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He’s still explosive when he finds the hole and hard to bring down because of his shifty and strong running style. He hasn’t shown any signs of falling off and should still be a capable starter in 2020, and possibly beyond.

At this point, Peterson is probably set to be the starter at least to start the season. Washington will want to acclimate their remaining young backs to the rotation before asking them to shoulder a full workload. Luckily, they have Peterson around to hold the fort as the starter and he should be able to do that for the whole season, if necessary.

That said, Washington will hope that doesn’t have to be the case. They have a couple of intriguing young talents on the roster that they are probably hoping will step up and become a viable tandem for Dwayne Haskins and Co. soon.

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