The moment Adrian Peterson was cut by The Washington Football Team, I immediately said he would be a good fit and should sign with the Detroit Lions.
Well, that’s exactly what has happened as Peterson is reportedly on his way to Detroit to sign a 1-year contract.
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Peterson, who is 35, is just 1,053 yards behind The GOAT Barry Sanders for the No. 4 spot on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list and that has me wondering about something.
Will Adrian Peterson pass Barry Sanders on the all-time rushing list while wearing a Detroit Lions uniform?
First of all, I grew up as a HUGE fan of Barry and during my time working for the Lions, my fandom just got stronger. So, it would certainly feel a bit odd to see Peterson pass Sanders while wearing the Honolulu blue and silver.
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But will he do it?
1,053 yards does not seem like a lot but considering he will not be getting 20 carries a game with the Lions. In fact, in 2019, Peterson averaged 14.07 carries per game while rushing for 898 yards (4.3 ypc).
Peterson will be sharing the Lions backfield with Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift so I believe he will average about 12-13 carries per game in 2020. If he averages 13 carries per game and plays all 16 games, Peterson would have to average 5.06 yards per carry to hit 1,053 yards on the season. That is not happening.
My conclusion is that the chances of Adrian Peterson passing Barry Sanders while in a Lions uniform is very small.
Unless he ends up returning for the 2021 season. If that happens, then all bets are off.
