Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will have missed 15 of a possible 16 games this year should his appeal over his season-ending suspension prove unsuccessful. Peterson is 29 years old and plays the sport's most physically demanding position. Running backs take an unparalleled amount of pounding.
Obviously, sitting out almost an entire season in your prime is not the ideal scenario for any athlete. But is it at all possible that Peterson's absence this year could prolong his effectiveness?
Most running backs are done by age 30 due to heavy workloads and an accumulation of pounding. Peterson has 2,054 career carries. From 2007 - his rookie season - to 2013, Peterson averaged 290 carries a year. We can safely assume that had he played this year, he would have finished with 2,323 career carries. It is around this number that elite running backs start to wear down.
LaDanian Tomlinson recorded 2,880 carries through his first nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers. After crossing the 2,300 carry benchmark in 2007, Tomlinson averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in his final two seasons with the Chargers. It was the first time in his career that he failed to rush for at least 4.0 yards per rush attempt in back-to-back seasons, and ultimately led to his release from the team after the 2009 season.
Steven Jackson piled up 2,396 rushing attempts in his nine years with the St. Louis Rams. In two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he has rushed for just 1,010 yards on 285 carries for a disappoint 3.5 yards per rush average. Running backs have a short shelf life; it's an undeniable truth of the position.
A year of rest might allow Peterson's body to continue playing at a high level. Barry Sanders rushed for 1,491 yards and four touchdowns with a 4.3 yards per carry average in his age-30 season. Thomas Jones racked up a total of 2,714 yards and 27 touchdowns in his age 31 and 32 seasons for the New York Jets. He didn't cross the 2,300 carry mark until his second to last season in the NFL.
Is it likely that Peterson will still be "All Day" when he returns? Probably not. But this is the same guy who rushed for over 2,000 yards after returning from a torn ACL. I'm not putting anything out of reach for him.
