Adrian Peterson has had better weeks.
The future Hall of Famer saw just nine snaps and six carries against his former team in his New Orleans Saints debut, while his fellow backs, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, saw 31 and 26, respectively. Peterson was then caught on camera chirping at coach Sean Payton to "run the ball up their donkey," as he put it after the game. On Thursday, A.D. capped his rough start to the season by telling reporters that he didn't "sign up for nine snaps" in New Orleans.
Peterson's public quarrels have earned the veteran tailback some derision from retired backs who have been in his shoes before.
"Quite frankly, you hear A.P. say, 'I didn't come to New Orleans for nine plays.' I'm going to] call B.S.," NFL Network analyst and former [Seahawks back Michael Robinson said on Good Morning Football Weekend. "Because if they didn't tell you you were the starter -- which they didn't promise him the starting job -- he knew they had a 1,000-yard rusher from last year already there, so essentially you're walking into a backup role. You don't play special teams. Backups get about nine plays, 10 plays when you're not the main runner and you don't play special teams."
Robinson wasn't the only former ballcarrier suggesting Peterson "deal with it." Hall of Fame back and former Jets backup LaDainian Tomlinson said on The Rich Eisen Show this week that "the faster he is able to come to grips with [his role], I think the better he will be for the team."
Robinson offered Peterson some harsher advice and a suggestion to remedy the potential locker room discord.
"You know why people just dabble with backs like that, backs that have been the main dog for seven, eight, nine years like that? Because when they walk into the building, they expect to get the ball as many times as they did before," Robinson concluded. "You are not a starter anymore, A.P. You are a backup running back. Nine plays happens to backup running backs.
"You get more plays by playing special teams, get on punt, get on punt return, get on kickoff, and that's what he's not going to do."
Robinson added he thinks Peterson still could be a starting running back somewhere, just not in New Orleans.
The Saints signed Peterson to a two-year deal with Ingram, the "1,000-yard rusher," already in tow and then drafted Kamara in the third round of the draft. New Orleans didn't hide its intentions at running back this offseason, so it's surprising that Peterson is this perturbed so early in the season.
