3 reasons the Steelers should sign future Hall of Fame RB Adrian Peterson

Peterson would give the Steelers a reliable back in the event of an injury to Harris

As I mentioned, Najee Harris is expected to be carry the bulk of the load for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. But what would happen in the event of an injury? Would a combination of Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland be enough to get the job done on the ground?

While Peterson has declined over the years, I would still rather have him to turn to than Snell in a pinch. Even in his old age, Peterson has more wiggle to make defenders miss and more juice to break runs to the outside.

Over the past two years, Peterson has averaged 4.1 yards per carry with Washington and Detriot. In his NFL career, Snell has averaged a dismal 3.6 yards per attempt, and last year that number was a dismal 3.3 per carry, according to Pro Football Reference. In quite possibly the last year of a Super Bowl window, Steelers shouldn’t assume that Harris is just going to stay healthy all season. Peterson would make a much better backup than the players the Steelers currently have on their roster.

I don’t know how likely it is for the Steelers to sign a player like Adrian Peterson, and he has to be willing to play another year. However, with Harris already having a personal connection to the future Hall of Famer, it makes sense as to why Pittsburgh should bring him in.