Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson will be a healthy scratch for the first time in his career for Sunday’s opener at the Philadelphia Eagles.
Several of the team’s veteran players were unhappy with the decision, according to an NFL Network report.
Head coach Jay Gruden hinted Thursday that Peterson could sit, telling reporters a decision hadn’t been made on how many backs would be active, or if Peterson — who doesn’t play special teams — would be one of them.
“We’ve got a lot of ‘ifs’ we’ve got to worry about,” Gruden said. “We’re just going to go (out) tomorrow see who’s active, see who can play, and then we’ll make the determination come Sunday.”
Derrius Guice, a 2018 second-round draft pick who is healthy after missing his rookie season with a torn ACL, is slated to start. Chris Thompson is listed behind Peterson on the depth chart but is the team’s top third-down back, with Wendell Smallwood the other back on the roster.
Peterson, 34, joined Washington after Guice’s injury last August and rushed for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns while starting all 16 games, his most productive season since 2015. He re-signed with the Redskins on a two-year, $5.03 million deal this offseason.
The team also announced Sunday that Vernon Davis would start at tight end, replacing Jordan Reed, who also was listed as inactive for the Week 1 game.
–Field Level Media
