Adrian Peterson's season is over.
The Arizona Cardinals are placing the veteran running back on injured reserve, coach Bruce Arians confirmed Friday. Peterson has missed the last two games with a neck injury.
ESPN first reported the development.
"The good news is my neck injury doesn't require surgery, but I'm told by Dr. Robert Watkins that the best thing for me is just more rest than the length of the season," Peterson wrote on Instagram. "Obviously, I'm disappointed about going on IR when my body is still able to produce, but I look forward to returning completely healthy for another season in 2018. I'm grateful for the opportunity that the Arizona Cardinals have given me to show I can still contribute on an NFL team."
Although the injury isn't considered serious, it's a disappointing end to what has been an interesting season for the seven-time All-Pro selection. After a disastrous four-game stint in New Orleans, Peterson was traded to an Arizona squad desperately looking for a running game resurrection after David Johnson was lost to injury.
Peterson provided that -- at least initially. He churned out 134 yards and two touchdowns in his desert debut, and he racked up 314 rushing yards over his first three games.
Then, he fell back to earth, failing to rush for more than 79 yards over the next three games before suffering his neck injury.
Shutting down Peterson, at this point, seems like the logical thing to do for a Cardinals team on the extreme outer limits of the NFC playoff picture. It would take a miracle for the 6-7 Cards to make the playoffs, and Kerwynn Williams is there to help fill the void.
Still, it's hard to see Peterson returning to the Cardinals next year unless Arizona is looking for some insurance for Johnson -- and it comes at the right price
