5 teams who could sign Adrian Peterson for one last rodeo

The Washington Football Team has released Adrian Peterson, and one of these 5 teams could now give a shot to continue his career.

Saturday is cut down day in the NFL, and we now have the first surprise cut. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Washington Football Team has released running back Adrian Peterson. Once the move becomes official with the league, he will be a free agent.

Peterson, 35, has long professed his desire to play a good bit longer. Most recently he suggested he wanted to play four more years, through his age-38 campaign, with his eye on a championship and Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing yardage mark. Entering this season, Peterson needs 4,140 yards to pass Smith.

Peterson was solid in his two seasons for Washington, with a 1,000-yard season in 2018 and an average of 4.3 yards per carry last year. He only missed one game over that span, as a healthy inactive in Week 1 last year.

Peterson wants to play, and Pro Football Talk quickly reported a couple teams have reached out in the wake of the news Washington will let him go. So someone will surely give him a shot.

Here are five teams who could find room for a future Hall of Fame running back.

The Patriots can never be ruled out in these kind of situations. Even if their rumored interest in Leonard Fournette was an effort by Fournette’s camp to trump up interest, Sony Michel hasn’t shown a lot in two seasons and now popular fantasy sleeper Damien Harris (hand) may miss a game or two to start the season.

Cam Newton under center and Peterson lined up behind him would have been an enviable star-studded backfield in 2015. Both guys still have something to offer at this stage, and if Peterson can accept a complementary role in the Patriots’ running back rotation there is a possible fit.