Seattle Seahawks should re-sign Adrian Peterson, as a coach

The Seattle Seahawks cannot really use Adrian Peterson as a running back in the future. But maybe Peterson is a bit of a running back whisperer.

How else to explain Peterson’s massive influence in such a short amount of time with Rashaad Penny? Maybe Penny’s recent success is just a matter of Penny finally being healthy. But that seems like an oversimplification. Penny appears to be seeing the field differently suddenly.

Pete Carroll has already spoken with Peterson about being a coach, maybe even with Seattle. It could be that Peterson is a bigger back, just like Penny. Maybe whatever Peterson has seen when running through offensive lines is the same kind of thing that Penny sees and the way Peterson moves is the same way Penny would move.

Possibly Peterson’s advice to Penny is simply the advice of a same-sized back. But I doubt it. No matter what people think about Peterson the person, he has been a great football player and he likely could be a very good football coach.

Seattle Seahawks should try to keep Adrian Peterson around as a coach

If Seattle were thinking of trying to get Peterson to be a running backs coach and Peterson is good specifically with bigger backs then that would also fit what Pete Carroll likes for his offense. Carroll has always been a fan of backs who can grind out yards. This goes back to his days at USC and it didn’t change when he came to Seattle.

One of the most important moves the Seahawks made after Carroll and John Schneider started running the football operations of the team was to trade for Marshawn Lynch. Lynch’s ability and tenacity changed the culture of the offense. A great running back is a passing game’s best friend. One reason Russell Wilson is able to have games as he did against the Lions is that Detroit had to account for Rashaad Penny being so successful.

Clearly Peterson’s influence on Penny hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Seattle coaching staff. Chris Carson could be back next year as well and he is also a bigger back. Should Peterson take the place of current Seahawks running back coach Chad Morton maybe that would be an improvement.

Plus, and this might be most important, Penny said Peterson has helped him better adjust to being injured. When healthy, Penny has almost always been good. But he has almost always been hurt too. Penny has shown, however, in the last four weeks – a combined 481 yards on 69 carries (6.97 yards a rush) and 5 touchdowns – that Seattle might now need to make him a priority to re-sign for 2022.

Seattle’s backs have been inconsistent most of the season. Part of the issue is play-calling and part of the problem is injuries to key backs. But whatever happened after Penny started listening to Peterson has worked and Seattle should try to keep that going into 2022 as well.