It's not yet known if Adrian Peterson will suit up for the Seahawks in Sunday's game against the 49ers, but the future Hall of Fame running back did make an instant impact on his new team after signing to the practice squad on Wednesday.
"Adrian had a good week," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "It's probably hard for people on the outside to understand the impact a guy with his kind of background can make. At a time where we're battling to try to win a game and get going, he jumped in here and had a remarkable influence on the week. With three guys banged up at the spot, we'll see how it goes on the weekend. He had a really productive week for us, and it was fun having him here."
Peterson, who played three games with the Titans last month before being released, would have to be elevated from the practice squad or signed to the 53-man roster on Saturday to be able to play on Sunday, and asked if it was realistic for the veteran back to be ready to play for a new team so soon after signing, Carroll said, "Yes. Yes, it is."
Peterson's primary goal in signing was to play and to help the Seahawks win games, but he has also had an impact on his new teammates, and on the young players in particular.
"It's a rare opportunity for our guys to see somebody like that, that has that kind of background, but stands for so much more than just the numbers and the stats and all of that," Carroll said. "He's been a remarkable competitor forever. It was so obvious. It was really a boost for a bunch of guys, the young guys in particular. He's serious about playing. He's not just here for show. He's here to come here and try to help us win a game."
With three Seahawks running backs listed as questionable, Peterson could be needed right away depending on the decisions made on Rashaad Penny (hamstring), Alex Collins (abdomen) and Travis Homer (calf). Penny and Homer both practiced fully on Friday, while Collins was a limited participant.
"We'll wait and see," Carroll said. "We've got a couple days to figure that out. We'll get through tomorrow, get to Sunday, and see what happens. Guys got work this week. They all got work this week, so we just got to figure out who's ok and who isn't by Sunday."
The Seahawks will likely be without left guard Damien Lewis for the second straight week. In addition to the elbow injury that kept him out last week, Lewis is also dealing with a non-injury related medical issue that has him listed as doubtful.
"He's got multiple things that we're dealing with," Carroll said. "He's got a shoulder, and an elbow, and another thing that he had to get some help for. He's just banged up. We've got to take care of him. It doesn't look like he's going to make it."
Carroll was also asked about the week Russell Wilson had, and said, the quarterback is, "Really determined and on it—early, stayed late, everything," Carroll said. "He's going for it with everything he has. This is the best he has felt, this is eight weeks. We are at eight weeks right now from broken bones and stuff like that. This will be the best he's been, there's margins, and I'm excited for him to play again. He needs to get back on the field again."
The Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers for Week 15 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at some of their previous matchups.