Adrian Peterson is one of the greatest running backs to ever play the position, and eventually, he’d like to see his sons follow in his footsteps. Kind of.
Although Peterson would encourage his boys to play the sport of football, he’d prefer it if they each shied away from the running back position.
During an appearance on "RG3 and the Ones" with Robert Griffin III this past week, Peterson explained why he’s taken that stance and why his boys would be better suited for a different role than the one he filled.
“I really feel like these guys, for the sacrifices they make playing that position, they should definitely be getting paid amongst some of the highest paid players on the team,” Peterson said, as transcribed by Sports Illustrated. “It’s a brutal position, man. I do not want my boys to play that position.”
In Peterson’s mind, the money is secondary to the brutality of the position. If a player is going to subject himself to that sort of beating, he feels he should be paid accordingly.
As far as his boys, Peterson says they don’t necessarily need to play quarterback. There are plenty of other well-paid positions that don’t require the same level of physical impact.
“If they wanna play football, hey, be a receiver, right? Be an outside linebacker. Do something different,” he said. “You got 11 guys coming at you, and you are blocking the best players — linebackers, defensive tackles and defensive ends. We block everybody.”
If the NFL ever course-corrected on the running back pay scale, perhaps Peterson would reconsider his boys playing the position. Until then, he intends to advocate for the players he feels are underserved.
“Pay us what we’re due, you know what I’m saying? Especially when we are being productive,” Peterson said.
Until that changes, Peterson will continue to encourage his boys to test other positions.
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