This embed is invalid
A day after Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said he was the best running back in the league, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had a chance to respond to McCoy’s claims on a Fox Sports Radio show Tuesday, according to a story from Fox Sports North.
Peterson said he believes McCoy did not mean what he said when he told ESPN’s First Take he was the best running back in the league, better than the 2012 NFL MVP.
“If you watched his response (he didn’t mean it),” Peterson said in the interview. “I’ve got to give the young guy credit because there is nothing wrong having confidence in yourself. But, you’ve got to speak with more truth. He’s a heck of a running back and I like his style, so I won’t get on him too much.”
During his interview Monday, McCoy said he is the best running back in the league because of his ability to stay on the field and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
“Tons of credit goes out to Adrian Peterson,” McCoy said on ESPN. “I’m a big fan of his, for sure. But I feel I’m the best.”
McCoy, a two-time pro-bowler, led the league in rushing last season with 1,607 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, playing in all 16 regular season games and one playoff game. Peterson finished fifth in the league in rushing with 1,266 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games.
According to the article, Peterson has a lot to back up his claim as the best running back in the league. Peterson led the league in rushing during the 2012 season with 2,097 yards. He was just 8 yards short of the all-time regular season rushing record. Peterson also led the league in rushing in 2008 with 1,760 yards.
While Peterson did not catch the ball much out of the backfield under previous offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, Peterson said he is excited to catch more passes under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
