Former Commanders RB Adrian Peterson to face Le’Veon Bell in celebrity boxing match

Former Washington Commanders running back Adrian Peterson hasn’t officially retired from football, but that day seemingly isn’t far off after he logged just 38 carries in four games between the Seahawks and Titans last season.

While Peterson didn’t join Washington until well after his prime — he had already claimed three rushing titles, was named league MVP, won an Offensive Player of the Year award and made seven Pro Bowls by 2018 — the NFL’s fifth all-time leading rusher was quietly a productive player over his two years in DC.

In 2018, Peterson totaled 1,042 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on a respectable 4.2 yards per carry en route to finishing third in Comeback Player of the Year voting. If you remember, Peterson proved to be a godsend for Washington’s offense after knee injuries derailed Derrius Guice’s rookie season.

Peterson took a step back in 2019, but his 898 rushing yards and five touchdowns was nothing to sneeze at for a 34-year-old running back.

With Peterson’s football career is winding down, he’s decided to take up a similarly physically-demanding sport — boxing — as he and Le’Veon Bell have signed contracts for a heavyweight exhibition on July 30 at Crypto.com Arena in LA.

Former Commanders running back Adrian Peterson will face Le’Veon Bell in a celebrity boxing exhibition.

This is a pretty juicy matchup for NFL fans, as Peterson and Bell were both one of the league’s best running backs in their primes. While Peterson’s prime lasted much longer than Bell’s, who peaked from 2014-2017, Bell was one of the game’s most dominant offensive weapons at any position for those four years.

Bell might have a seven-year age advantage on the former Commanders star, but everyone knows Peterson is a freak when it comes to taking care of his body. After all, Bell out-snapped the future first-ballot Hall of Famer by just one last year despite having more than 1,500 snaps on his resume relative to the former Steeler.

It’s unclear what the odds are for this exhibition, but Peterson and Bell are following a trend of high-profile athletes getting their feet wet in boxing.

If you recall, legendary 49ers running back Frank Gore fought former All-Star NBA point guard Deron Williams back in December. The retired Gore then made his official pro debut in May and registered a fourth-round knockout.

Peterson will be hoping to do something similar to Bell as it remains to be seen if either NFL veteran has the stamina to last several rounds. Whatever the case, Commanders fans should bookmark their calendars for July 30 to see which great running back comes out on top in this match.

Whoever wins, Peterson and Bell will likely be hoping a training camp invite is waiting for them after the exhibition. While boxing is a fun hobby, neither player appears ready to say goodbye to football just yet.