Will Adrian Peterson Beat Emmitt Smith’s All-Time Rushing Record? — Sports Survey of the Day
Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is a force to be reckoned with on the football field, but will he become the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards?
In a recent interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Adrian Peterson predicted that he will reach Emmitt Smith's record of 18,355 yards by Week 16 of 2017. At the start of the 2013 season, Peterson, 28 years old, will sit at number 33 on the rush list, with 8,849 yards, leaving him 9,506 yards away at this point. He would need to average 120 yards per game for the next 79 games to hit his target.
When 2017 rolls around, Peterson will be 32, and likely toward the end of his career. (Most running backs' careers only last about four years; Peterson has already played seven seasons.) He said that his goal for 2013 is 2,500 yards. He's clearly aiming high, but is this a bit too much?