Ron Rivera woke up at 4:03 a.m. Friday, dreading what he would have to do later in the morning. The Washington coach had made the decision the night before, and now, it was a matter of relaying the information.
He had to tell Adrian Peterson he was being released.
“My first thought when I woke up, other than what time it is, [was] ’What do I do? How do I talk to Adrian Peterson?’” Rivera said. “Because of who he is. He’ll go down as one of the best backs to play in this league and he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“It was difficult and something I struggled with, trying to continue to make sure I made the right decision.”
Three hours later, Rivera called the 35-year-old running back and told him the come see him when he arrived at the team’s facility. The two then met and Peterson learned he no longer had a job. “It kind of blindsided me,” Peterson told 106.7 The Fan.
Rivera, though, said he felt it was the right decision. Speaking to reporters, Rivera said the team realized that with the style of offense they want to play, Washington would be better served with its younger backs.
Third-rounder Antonio Gibson has emerged over the past few weeks as someone who has really picked up the offense, while veteran J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber have also had strong camps.
Peterson was Washington’s leading rusher for the past two seasons, but Rivera said the team’s new scheme played a factor in the former MVP’s release.
Offensive coordinator Scott Turner likes to heavily involve his backs in the passing game and Washington values versatility, players who can contribute in multiple areas Despite Peterson’s pedigree, Peterson was used almost exclusively in the run game — Of his 228 touches, 211 were rushing attempts last season.
“The thing you have to look at is for his skill set and his style, certain plays were really good, those are the ones you want to run with him,” Rivera said. “But the hard part, too, is now people game-plan and say, ’Hey this is what they’re going to do with this guy.’ … This is not about what [Peterson] didn’t do. This really was about what these other guys were doing for us. It allows us to go in a direction we feel good about.”
Still, Peterson’s release came as a major surprise given Washington had picked up his contract option in February. Rivera, too, had praised Peterson’s work ethic and leadership, pointing to him as an example for others to follow. Despite Peterson’s age, the seven-time Pro Bowler had been relatively productive, rushing for 898 yards last year.
But Rivera said the thought of cutting Peterson started to occur when he had seriously started to evaluate the team’s running game during practices. He said he noticed the offense was starting to gel with other backs.
Gradually, Peterson’s reps in practice became reduced. The 35-year-old worked primarily with the first team, but coaches started to feature Gibson and McKissic more and more in different formations.
“I knew that it would be more of a limited role when it came to those packages, but didn’t see this coming,” Peterson said on the radio.
Peterson said he holds no ill will toward Rivera or Washington for his release. The team, after all, had given him an opportunity to revitalize his career two years ago when it brought him off the street midway through training camp to replace an injured Derrius Guice.
Peterson knew he could still be a productive back in the NFL and Washington gave him the chance to prove it. Throughout his tenure, Peterson became a popular locker room figure, serving as a leader for his much younger teammates. He also climbed up the ladder on various NFL milestones, now ranked fifth all-time in rushing yards with 14,216.
During his radio interview, Peterson said he has no intention of retiring, adding he believes in his ability to produce.
Rivera agreed Peterson can contribute to another team.
“The guy’s got football left in him,” Rivera said. “I will say that.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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