Adrian Peterson isn’t happy about his workload with the Saints. He said he “didn’t sign up for nine snaps,” which is what he played in New Orleans’ loss to the Vikings in Week 1.
“I didn’t sign up for nine snaps, though, but unfortunately that’s the way the game played out,” Peterson said, via Joel Erickson of The New Orleans Advocate.
If you watched that game or spend any amount of time on the internet, you probably saw an exchange between Peterson and head coach Sean Payton that looked pretty heated. Just in case you missed it, though, here it is:
That’s not the face of a man who’s content with his role in the offense. But Peterson downplayed this exchange, saying the whole thing was “definitely overdramatized.”
"Of course, with the heat of the game, me being back in Minnesota and things like that, just catching that look – that intense look on my face, like I had – I actually got some laughs out of some of the memes that were made,” Peterson said.
But that doesn’t mean he’s content with his role. Peterson’s disappointment isn’t a surprise. But he isn’t the most natural fit for the Saints’ pass-heavy approach, especially in a crowded backfield with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara sharing the load.
We may end up with more entertaining Adrian Peterson-Sean Payton memes as the season goes on, because Peterson’s role may not live up to his expectations.