After a bit of a wait following his departure from the Vikings, running back Adrian Peterson signed a two-year deal with the Saints this offseason.
The 32-year-old doesn’t want that to be the final contract he signs as an NFL player. Peterson was at a charity softball game benefitting Steve Gleason’s charity on Wednesday, which meant the No. 37 was in his line of sight when he was asked how much longer he wanted to play in the NFL.
Peterson said 37 is “a good number,” which would mean that he’d be suiting up for five more seasons in a league that has long seen 30 as a scary number for players at his position.
“I’d be lying to you say it doesn’t give you a chip [on your shoulder]. Especially being a competitor,” Peterson said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “It’s not my main focus. It’s something that drives you a little bit. After 30, because it was the same back then. ‘Oh, he’s 30.’ Then I ended up leading the league in 2015. Same thing the next year. Stuff will continue to repeat itself until I finish.”
Before Peterson can think about playing at 37, he’ll need to make sure someone wants him when he’s 33. Doing so will take a healthier and more productive season than he had in 2016 and the word around the Saints has been that Peterson is showing the ability to handle the productive part. Health is harder to predict, but it will be essential to any extended stay in the league.