Can Adrian Peterson help the Arizona Cardinals make the playoffs

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The only thing more evident than Adrian Peterson not working out in New Orleans is Donald Trump’s political nightmare in Washington D.C. The Saints signed Peterson in the off season and it was obvious from the get-go that Sean Payton’s offensive scheme isn’t fit for Peterson’s strengths as a running back. With that fact in mind and the vocal frustration by the future Hall of Fame running back, something had to be done. So the Saints sent A.P. to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional 6th round draft pick next season. That says a lot about what the league thinks of his ability at this point.

Peterson is now 32 years old and way past his prime. The Cardinals are desperately searching for a ground attack and at a very minimal cost they decided to give Adrian a chance. In the process another aging RB, Chris Johnson was released by the Cards to make way for Peterson to be the featured back in the desert.

The Cardinals are 2 – 3 and are only a game behind the Seahawks and Rams in the NFC West. Since neither of their rivals are taking control of the division, Arizona personnel probably figured what’s the worst that could happen? Maybe they catch lightning in a bottle. Perhaps they’re thinking he’s had significant time off and has fresh legs even at 32 years of age.

Now I could be wrong, but I don’t see Adrian Peterson being the missing link in the chain of the Cardinals offense. Carson Palmer is no spring chicken and hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard. So yes, it does make sense to bring in a seasoned veteran who’ll be wearing a yellow jacket someday to help push your team over the top.

But given that we’re heading into week 6, Peterson has been rusty and he needs to learn a new offense quickly. I find it very hard to believe that he’ll have much of a positive impact for the Cardinals. Maybe playing in Arizona is the right move since his career will likely be buried in the desert sooner than later. No disrespect to the great Adrian Peterson but players can’t last forever especially at the running back position.