Seahawks 2021 free agent target: Adrian Peterson

The Seattle Seahawks need running backs in 2021. Adrian Peterson is a veteran who once was productive. Seattle and Peterson almost make sense, don’t they? I keep assuming that Seattle will not re-sign Chris Carson. I am not sure why. Maybe it was because he will be too expensive or he gets hurt a bit too much or he recently unfollowed the Seahawks on Twitter.

But even if Seattle finds a way, and hopefully they do, to keep Carson, the team still needs depth at running back. Last year Seattle signed veteran Carlos Hyde and he was OK but not great. Hyde is a free agent in 2021 but there seems little chance of Seattle bringing him back. Why? I don’t know.

But Adrian Peterson would be an even less expensive option (Peterson was paid $1.050 million in 2020) than Hyde would be this year. That is a bit odd to say. If you look at the careers of the two running backs there is no comparison. Peterson is better. In fact, Peterson is fifth all-time in NFL history in rushing yards with 14,820. Hyde is 160th with 4,726. But Peterson is 547 years older than Hyde.

OK, that last part isn’t completely true. But Peterson will be 36 years old when the 2021 season starts and Hyde will be 30. Peterson doesn’t likely have a lot of mileage left on his legs. But for the Seahawks sake, he doesn’t need to have. Seattle could sign him to a one-year deal and fine.

Seahawks should take a look at Peterson

Even though Peterson is nearly 36, he has missed only one game in the last three years. He presumably wants to play until he is 40. In 2020, he played for the Detroit Lions behind a really bad offensive line and ran for 604 yards and averaged 3.9 yards a carry. Not great. But he still managed 7 rushing touchdowns.

Seattle took a chance on Hyde and he played in 10 games in 2020, averaged 4.4 yards a carry and did score 4 rushing touchdowns. But Seattle also paid Hyde $2.75 million to him this past season and his production wasn’t as good as Peterson’s nor was his health.

Sure, Adrian Peterson has had off-the-field issues in the past. Maybe that should be factored in. But on-the-field and even at an advanced (for football, that is) age, he can be a quality backup for the Seahawks. Will he be a 1,000-yard rusher? No. But if he accepts around $1 million to sign with the Seahawks for 2021, he’d be worth the money on-the-field.