Play with him, play for him, play against him, coach against him _ no matter what your experience or connection with Adrian Peterson, everyone who's come into contact comes to the same conclusion.
"He's just a beast," Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly said. "You look at guys that are physically impressive across the league _ we've got a couple of them in here when you look at (Julius Peppers) or Cam (Newton) _ and then Adrian Peterson ...
"You don't really gotta explain him a whole lot."
Peterson, in his 12th NFL season and first with Washington, has accomplished just about everything you'd want in a running back during his illustrious career:
Lead the league in rushing? Done it ... three times.
Rush for 2,000 yards? Yep ... and he came within 8 yards of the all-time single-season record in the process.
Top 10 all time in rushing yards? Check ... and by the end of this season, he might be eighth or ninth.
So Peterson has more than earned his accolades.
And that dominance has only continued this season for Washington, albeit under slightly stranger circumstances. After a midseason trade from New Orleans to Arizona in 2017, Peterson didn't have any suitors this offseason. The former All-Pro, with legs as powerful and strong as his legendary handshake, instead had to wait for a last-second call, which ultimately came less than three weeks before Washington's season-opener.
But all Peterson has done since then is claim the outright starting job in Washington and run away with it. Despite leaving Washington's Monday loss early with a shoulder injury _ the same injury which resulted in his day-to-day listing on the team's Wednesday injury report _ Peterson is expected to play Sunday against the Panthers.
That means Carolina's defense more than has its hands full.
"AP (is) a beast, man. You can't go into any game underestimating him, because he can hit any hole and make anything happen," defensive end Mario Addison said this week. "I've played against him a few times, and he's a good back, so you've got to be on your stuff.
"Because once he gets in the open field ... "
