One rumor coming from the combine was that the Chicago Bears had interest in Adrian Peterson. That signing does not make much sense
Plenty of reports coming out of the NFL combine have pointed the arrow towards the Chicago Bears drafting a running back in 2019. The team worked out many backs and even fielded offers for their current running back Jordan Howard.
It would now be surprising if Howard was on the roster past the draft and even more surprising if draft weekend ended without a new running back.
However, a surprising report that came out with all of this unsurprising news was that Adrian Peterson was a free agent that the Bears may kick the tires on.
Tracking Adrian Peterson’s situation, if he doesn’t stay in Washington, I would mark the #Bears as a potential team to watch. Depending on what happens with Jordan Howard and the RB market, of course. Brad Childress is close with Matt Nagy. A thought for down the line, anyway...
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 8, 2019
Of course, the news that Matt Nagy’s friend and former co-worker Brad Childress joined the staff broke at the combine as well.
Childress was the Vikings head coach from 2006-2010 and apparently is still close with Peterson. Thus, we have a rumor. While the Chicago Bears may kick the tires on the Hall of Famer, adding him to the running back room would be a surprise unless he came on a one-year deal for the minimum salary.
The biggest thing the Bears are looking for in their running back is versatility as a pass catcher. Adrian Peterson is one of the hardest runners in NFL history but has never been versatile as a pass catcher.
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With that in mind his role would immediately be relegated to a third string back who could provide goal line and power rushing value. He would see 10 carries per game at most, and would be looked at to convert touchdowns.
The Bears would likely trade Howard and draft a young running back to split duties and play side by side with Tarik Cohen while being mentored by Peterson.
Even in this scenario Howard would be cheaper next year and they would only be trading Howard because they get four years of a rookie deal at the running back spot.
If Adrian Peterson wants to be a backup, a mentor and a low-end salary player for a winning team he is more than welcome to join the Chicago Bears. If he wants to see carries or money, it would be a surprise to see the two agree to terms.