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Annoying NFL Texts with Ian Rapoport: Does Adrian Peterson have anything left?
Christian Petersen
It was another frenetic week in the NFL, and what's most remarkable about the series of headlines surrounding professional football these days is how few actually have to do with the playing of football. National anthem protests, offensive line coaches caught with currency up their noses, Cam Newton saying Cam Newton things -- it's all been enough to keep NFL Insider and serial texter Ian Rapoport plenty busy.
In our weekly text exchange with the NFL Network reporter, we wanted to touch on all the juicy going on around the league, but we started with something that qualifies as traditional football news, the trade of one-time All-Pro running Adrian Peterson from the Saints to the Cardinals.
The cost for the Cardinals wasn't much, a reported conditional sixth-round draft pick, but in unloading Peterson, the Saints got some relief from an overcrowded backfield.
Of course, it's fair to wonder what kind of player Arizona is getting in return. Peterson is 32, and ran for just 81 yards on 27 carries in his four games in New Orleans.
Peterson's chances of getting back on track are definitely better than former Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerester. The coach was caught in a video that surfaced online this week snorting a white powdery substance inside the Dolphins facility, which led to his swift resignation.
Meanwhile, the lingering anthem protest saga rages on, with Commissioner Roger Goodell releasing a curiously-worded letter to NFL owners underscoring the league's belief that players should stand for the anthem. What wasn't clear is if the letter was less a request and more of a demand.
Lastly, we close with Cam Newton, the mercurial but unquestionably dynamic Panthers quarterback who found himself in hot water thanks to a press conference aside that seemed to undermine the competence of female reporters (direct quote: "Funny to hear a female talk about routes"). Given the chance to apologize later in the day, Newton didn't even do that.
