The Titans may replace their all-world running back with an all-time great.
The team is expected to work out Adrian Peterson this week, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, with Derrick Henry out indefinitely due to a foot injury that will require surgery.
Peterson, 36, hasn’t caught on with an NFL team this year after struggling in a stint with the Lions last year.
A four-time All-Pro, Peterson ranks fifth all-time in career rushing yards and fourth in career rushing touchdowns. Since leaving the Vikings after the 2016 season, though, he’s shown his age. In a combined 57 games with the Saints, Cardinals, Washington and Lions since 2017, Peterson has averaged 4.0 yards per carry.
Still, the AFC South-leading Titans (6-2) need to find some kind of fill-in for Henry, who had established himself as an MVP candidate with 937 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. There isn’t an obvious replacement on Tennessee’s roster: Of 260 Titans plays categorized as rushing attempts this year, 219 have been Henry runs and 23 have been by quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Jeremy McNichols, a 25-year-old former fifth-round pick, is the next-highest with seven rushing attempts and is primarily used as a pass-catcher.