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‘Skins scoop: Jay Gruden expects ‘physical freak’ Adrian Peterson to play Friday

Posted at 10:40 PM, Aug 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-21 22:40:56-04

Redskins running back Adrian Peterson

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – Only 21 running backs in NFL history have more career rushing attempts than Adrian Peterson. Clearly, the seven-time Pro Bowl selection can ‘carry’ the load. Therefore, Redskins fans should expect to see the team’s newest running back sooner than later.

“Oh yeah, if we get him up to speed, which I think he’s played enough football where he knows even and odd, so I think he’ll be OK,” Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said when asked if Peterson would play in Friday’s preseason game vs. Denver – a contest to be broadcast live on News 3. “I’d like to get him a few touches in this game and see where he’s at.”

Redskins running back Adrian Peterson

Monday, the Redskins signed Peterson – the 2012 NFL MVP, to a one-year contract. Gruden said the 33 year-old’s workout was what convinced the coaching staff he has plenty left in the tank.

“We had a couple other backs to work out and he wanted to work out and show that he was in good shape and at the workout he proved to us that he’s in great physical condition,” Gruden explained. “He’s actually a physical freak if you want to say that. He didn’t even break a sweat, hardly. He’s in great shape, explosive, and that is really what sold us. Sometimes these backs come in for workouts and they haven’t been doing anything, and you can tell they’re out shape. Some of the backs we had in here were huffing and puffing, keeling over and he’s standing straight up. He could have gone for another two hours. That played mostly into it — his great physical condition.”

Redskins running back Adrian Peterson

“I’ve been grinding, man,” Peterson said of his physical condition. “You get out what you put in. You’ve got to run to make sure your lungs are open and conditioned well and do different things. So, that’s what I attribute it to. I don’t allow people to box me in. I know there are a lot of athletes out there that are commentators now and they have so much to say. Well maybe when they were 33, they didn’t feel like they had it or they couldn’t do it. I don’t allow people to box me in [and] that’s what I just try to tell people in general, ‘Don’t allow anyone to box you in’. You know you are what you think, you get out what you put in. Darrell Green ran a 4.4 [40-yard time] at 50 years old. You know, stuff like that motivates you that tell you that, ‘hey anything is possible’. So, that’s how I’ve viewed any situation that I’ve been in and that’s how I view the doubters as well — alright whatever — it is what it is.”

The Redskins host the Broncos at 7:30 p.m. Friday. News 3, Hampton Roads’ home of the Redskins, will have pregame and postgame coverage from the team’s third preseason game.