Adrian Peterson Not Ready to Retire After Going Unsigned in 2022

The surefire Hall of Famer turned 38 on March 21.

A decade ago, no running back in the NFL had a higher stock than Adrian Peterson.

Then a member of the Vikings, Peterson had just polished off the best season of his career. He ran for an astounding 2,097 yards in 2012—eight shy of Rams legend Eric Dickerson’s single-season record—and swept MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press.

Now, Peterson is just trying to stick around the league at the age of 38. Despite going unsigned in 2022, he expressed to Clarence Hill Jr. of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he'd like to play in 2023 if given the opportunity.

“Mentally, I haven’t officially hung it up,” Peterson said at Dickerson's recent charity golf outing. “We’ll see what happens. My mindset is, if God’s willing maybe an opportunity presents itself and maybe it happens this season."

Peterson last played in 2021, running for 98 yards in four games with the Titans and Seahawks. His last full season came in 2020, when he rushed for 604 yards in 16 games for the Lions.

Despite his aspirations, Peterson is realistic about his stock as a 38-year-old running back at a position overwhelmingly given over to young talent.

“[If] nothing happens this season, for sure, I will be hanging it up,” Peterson said.