Adrian Peterson hasn't 'officially hung it up,' isn't closing the door on an NFL return

Adrian Peterson isn’t ready to call it quits on his NFL career just yet. Despite having not played a game since the 2021 season, the former MVP running back is hopeful he’ll get an opportunity in 2023.

In a recent interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Peterson said he hasn’t “officially hung it up” and will hold off on making a retirement announcement until the end of this year.

“Mentally, I haven’t officially hung it up,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. My mindset is, if God’s willing maybe an opportunity presents itself and maybe it happens this season. I’ll go from there. But nothing happens this season, for sure, I will be hanging it up.”

Peterson has already had a lengthy career by running back standards, playing 15 seasons. If he is able to suit up for a 16th, it would tie five other players for the most seasons ever played by a RB, according to StatMuse.

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Peterson is considered one of the greatest running backs of all-time. He is one of just eight players in league history to reach 2,000 yards rushing in a single season, with his 2,097 yards in 2012 still ranking as the second-most ever. He spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, earning seven Pro Bowl appearances.

Following his last season in Minnesota in 2016, Peterson has bounced around the league and played for six different teams over the next five seasons. He most recently played for the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks in 2021, totaling 98 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries in four games.

Peterson turned 38 in March and clearly isn’t the player he once was. However, he could still add a valuable veteran presence if a team ultimately is ready to take a chance on him for one last season.

Adrian Peterson speaks on Emmitt Smith’s NFL rushing record

If he were to never play another game, Peterson would finish fifth in NFL history with 14,918 career rushing yards and fourth with 120 touchdowns. He is 351 yards behind Barry Sanders for fourth place.

Former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith stands alone with 18,355 career rushing yards to top the list. Peterson, who will inevitably join Smith in the Hall of Fame one day, had high praise for what he has accomplished, saying it’s a record that will be “hard” to break.

“He set a standard there,” Peterson said of Smith. “You see why it’s been there for such a long time. I feel like I had the great opportunity to do it. Unfortunately, I experienced some hiccups throughout my career and you know, injuries and things like that, just wasn’t able to get there. So I think it’ll stand for a long time. And you know, maybe eventually someone or break it but when you look at see how the NFL is going now. It might might not happen.

“How things are going in NFL it’s gonna be hard for someone to really break a record. But I can tell you this there’s no other person to be holding that spot. Emmitt is a great guy. He inspired so many people, me growing up, being a Cowboys fan. So I got so much love for him.”