RENTON -- The Seattle Seahawks have signed former NFL Most Valuable Player Adrian Peterson to their practice squad as they look to backstop some depth concerns at running back for the final six weeks of the season.
Peterson is far from the star he was early in his career when he won MVP honors with the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. But the Seahawks are hoping the tank isn't completely empty as they deal with injuries to Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer and Alex Collins.
"Excited to see if he can help us out and give us a little something," head coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday. "He's a player that I've known forever -- way back to his high school days -- and admired him tremendously over the years. Always disappointed we didn't get him back in the day (at USC), but like I just told him, we finally got him. So I'm looking forward to seeing how he does and where he can fit in. He's an incredible competitor and a great guy, so I'm anxious to give him a chance to get on the field with our boys."
Peterson in three games for the Tennessee Titans with two starts as a stop-gap for the team after Derrick Henry was lost for the remainder of the regular season. Peterson rushed for 82 yards on 27 carries (3.04 yards per carry) with a touchdown and caught four passes for eight yards. The Titans waived him last week in favor of Dontrell Hilliard, D'Onta Foreman and Jeremy McNichols.
Signing Peterson to the practice squad gives him a chance to get up to speed with Seattle without taking up an active roster spot until, and if, he's ready to contribute.
"I've got to wait and see how he does out here," Carroll said. "I've watched the film and seen him play. He plays just as tough and aggressive as he ever has, so I'm anxious to see what he adds to the club. He's fired up about it, too.
"So we'll see how it goes and see how the guys respond. I'm as excited as probably you guys are just to see what he looks like playing in our uniform and doing something for us, so we'll see how it goes."
Peterson ranks fifth in NFL history with 14,902 career rushing yards. The first 10 seasons of his career all came with the Vikings before joining five different teams over the last five seasons. He appeared in six games with the Arizona Cardinals and four games with the New Orleans Saints in 2017, 31 games with the Washington Football Team from 2018-19, 16 games with the Detroit Lions last year and the three games with the Titans this season.
Carson is out for the season due to a neck injury that will require surgery. Penny (hamstring) and Homer (calf) both missed Monday night's game against Washington are remain in doubt for this week's game against the San Francisco 49ers. Penny was listed as limited for the team's walkthrough practice while Homer was a full participant. Collins hasn't missed any games but has been listed for weeks with a groin/abdominal issue that has kept him limited in practice.
Josh Johnson was called up from the practice squad for the Washington game but did not play on offense, only 16 snaps on special teams.
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Photo Credit: NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 20: Running back Adrian Peterson #28 of the Detroit Lions carries the football against the defense of the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter of the game at Nissan Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)