“Come on now. No,” Adrian Peterson said when asked by the Pioneer Press if he’s no longer the best running back in the National Football League.
Peterson still believes he’s the best in the business despite missing 15 games last season due to off-the-field troubles. His peers ranked him No. 62 in the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2015, 58 spots lower than they ranked him in 2014.
In terms of Peterson’s rankings in fantasy football for the upcoming season, he’s still very high among running backs. ESPN’s Matthew Berry ranked him second only to Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles.
Bleacher Report hasn’t been quite as high on Peterson, ranking him fourth behind Green Bay’s Eddie Lacey, Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch and Charles.
During his annual Adrian Peterson Day in his hometown of Palestine, Texas, Peterson made it clear that he thinks he can break Emmitt Smith’s all-time rushing record of 18,355 yards. NFL.com notes that Peterson says he wants to play another eight years, meaning he would need to average 1,021 yards per season to reach the record.
“I really feel that I can be 38 out there and still be the best running back in the NFL,” Peterson said.
