The Cardinals haven’t made a formal announcement of running back Adrian Peterson’s move to injured reserve, but Peterson has confirmed that his season is over.
Peterson gave a statement to Josina Anderson of ESPN after learning he will not be returning to action after going for further medical opinions on his injured neck. In addition to thanking the Cardinals for acquiring him from the Saints and giving him a chance to run as a lead back, Peterson also touched on his plans for the future.
“The good news is my neck injury doesn’t require surgery, but I’m told by Dr. Robert Watkins that the best thing for me is just more rest than the length of the season. Obviously, I’m disappointed about going on IR when my body is still able to produce but I look forward to returning completely healthy for another season in 2018. I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Arizona Cardinals have given me to show that I can still contribute on an NFL team.”
Peterson signed a two-year contract with the Saints, so the Cardinals can keep him around if they are so inclined. That may not be their choice as long as David Johnson is set to make a full recovery from the wrist injury that ended his season in the first week of the year, which would leave Peterson in a similar position to the one he was in after the Vikings released him in the offseason.
It took him a long time to find work before landing with the Saints and a cooler market could signal the end of Peterson’s time as an NFL player.