Few have ever done it the way Adrian Peterson has for most of his career.
Peterson arrived with the Washington Redskins last season and still managed 1,000 yards well past the age of 30.
Maybe that shouldn’t have been such a surprise — AP’s prime years were jaw-dropping.
Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus broke it down and noted Peterson joins Tom Brady and others as an owner of the best three-year stretches at his respective position:
“A reign that ended in MVP honors in 2012, Adrian Peterson’s three-year stretch as a runner from 2010-12 is unlikely to ever be seen again. He earned overall grades of 86.5, 83.7 and 92.4 in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively, and he led the league in yards after contact (2580) and yards after contact per attempt (3.4) over that span.”
Peterson’s 2012 MVP year featured 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 6.0 per-carry average.
Naturally, Peterson tapered off last year, yet 1,042 yards and seven scores on a 4.2 average after joining the team late and facing loaded boxes was still impressive.
If Peterson can keep that same efficiency in 2019 while pairing with Derrius Guice, it’s going to make for a nice offensive nucleus and another impressive chapter in AP’s storied career.
