Eric Dickerson needs to worry about Adrian Peterson. So does Emmitt Smith.
Peterson, who holds the single-game rushing record, openly has talked about toppling Dickerson’s single-season mark. Now, Peterson is talking about becoming the all-time leading rusher.
With 9,506 yards to go, Peterson predicts he’ll surpass Smith’s mark of 18,355 within five seasons.
“I have to do some calculations,” Peterson told Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I’ve been in the league seven years. I’m already right around [9,000]. Calculate it out. . . . Let’s think. Maybe get a couple 2,000 yard seasons. . . . I’ve got . . . hmmm . . . 2017.”
Peterson added that he believes it will happen late in the 2017 season. Specifically, in Week 16. By Wiederer’s calculations, Peterson needs to average more than 120 yards per game to get there.
We’ve got a feeling that, whether it’s in Week 16 of the 2017 season or Week 17 of 2018 or Week 18 (possibly) of 2019, the day is coming to, as Chad Johnson would say, kiss the baby.