Detroit Lions Mentioned As Possibility for Adrian Peterson

According to a report filed with SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Detroit Lions are among the teams listed as possible destinations for Adrian Peterson.

Adrian Peterson may no longer be the player he once was, but he is still the biggest name on the free agent market. He often terrorized the Detroit Lions as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, but could he be joining the Lions?

It turns out that may be a possibility according to info from SiriusXX NFL Radio, who list the Lions as one of six teams as possibilities.

The Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks were the two destinations most commonly discussed in the rumor mill yesterday, along with New England if he’d agree to their price. The Vikings also never ruled out a reunion despite not picking up the option on Peterson’s contract that made him a free agent. Now two division rivals enter the mix with the Lions and Green Bay Packers also named.

Peterson was limited to just three games last season due to a knee injury and he wasn’t effective when he was on the field. He posted just 72 rushing yards on 37 carries for a 1.9 yards per carry average – easily the lowest average of his career. Add in that he’s on the wrong side of 30, the age when running backs have historically seen a big drop off in ability and production, and making any sort of significant commitment to Peterson seems like a bad bet.

However, Peterson posted a fine season in 2015 in which he ran for 1,485 yards on 327 carries (4.5 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. Any team signing him will hope they are getting something closer to the 2015 Peterson than the 2016 Peterson who was slowed by injury.

Next: Detroit Lions 7-Round Mock Draft v2.0

It’s the kind of move that would make sense for a team like the Seahawks or Patriots if they can catch a bargain hoping to get a short burst of production. The Lions aren’t in that position, making their apparent involvement curious