Adrian Peterson is headed to the desert to play for the Arizona Cardinals after being traded by the New Orleans Saints. In a corresponding move by the Cardinals, veteran Chris Johnson is reportedly being released.
To make room for RB Adrian Peterson, Cardinals released RB Chris Johnson. The two RBs connected in past connected again in different way.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 10, 2017
It’s hardly surprising. Johnson hasn’t been effective for Arizona this year. He’s rushed for 114 yards and no touchdowns on 45 attempts for an average of 2.5 yards per carry, which is actually worse than the team’s NFL-worst 2.6 yards per carry average.
It’s not a given Peterson will do better than Johnson. But the team had to make a roster move to make room for the veteran and former All-Pro running back. Interestingly enough, before this move, it appeared the Cardinals would be featuring a backfield that included two former 2,000-plus yard running backs. Instead, they’ll have to content themselves with just the one.