LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have exercised the 2020 club option on RB Adrian Peterson’s contract.
“Adrian Peterson is the epitome of what it means to be a pro in this league,” said Head Coach Ron Rivera. “Adrian’s leadership and passion towards the game of football will set an example of what is expected of the players in this program moving forward.”
Peterson was a team captain and led Washington in attempts (211), rushing yards (898) and rushing touchdowns (5) last season. He was named the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award winner at NFL Honors and was also honored by the local media with the Good Guy award, which is given to a Redskins player who treated the media with respect, professionalism and went above and beyond to help them do their job.
Peterson will enter 2020 having started in 154 of the 164 games he has appeared in. He currently ranks No. 8 in rushing attempts (3,036), No. 5 in rushing yards (14,216), No. 4 in rushing touchdowns (111) and No. 6 in yards per game (86.7) in NFL history. Peterson needs 1,054 rushing yards to pass Barry Sanders for No. 4 all-time and he needs 13 rushing touchdowns to pass Marcus Allen for No. 3 all-time in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, respectively.
Peterson has appeared in five postseason contests and has started in all of them. He has registered 116 attempts for 412 yards and five touchdowns along with hauling in six receptions for 54 yards in postseason action.
Peterson is a seven-time Pro Bowler, has been named First-Team All Pro four times and Second-Team All Pro three times and is a three-time rushing leader. He was named the NFL MVP in 2012 after finishing the season with 348 carries for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns and was nine yards away from setting the single-season NFL rushing record. He is the last running back to capture the MVP award and is only the fourth to do so in the last 20 years.
