ASHBURN, Va. – Nothing, it seems, gets under Adrian Peterson’s skin quite like doubters. That means you, Cris Carter. Ditto Shannon Sharpe. Peterson had a few choice words for the Hall of Famers-turned-TV hosts as he sat at his new stall in the Washington locker room this week. It sounded a lot like motivational fuel, while surely flipping the notion that star athletes don’t pay attention to what’s said about them. Carter and Sharpe, co-hosts for back-to-back morning shows on FS1, “First Things First” and “Undisputed,” praised Peterson effusively last season … yet have drawn his ire as more recently they have concluded that at 33, Peterson won’t dominate like he used to. In Peterson’s mind, that’s in-your-face insult stuff. Love football? :Talk about it with fans and our reporters in The Ruling Off The Field “Watching some of the things they said about me, man, it really hurt me to the core,” Peterson told USA TODAY Sports. “Not only are they black men, but these are people I looked up to. And these are people that made mistakes, especially Cris Carter. So some of the things that came out of his mouth, not only personally, but about me as a player – aw, he’s washed up and this, that and the other, and he should just retire – how dare you. “Then Shannon Sharpe, the same thing. He said some things and I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that would come out of your mouth.’ I understand that people are entitled to their opinions. That’s the way of the world. But they are in a position where millions of people are watching them.” More:NFL roster bubble: 14 veteran players who could be cut candidates More:NFL's worst position groups by team: Cowboys look woeful at wide receiver, tight end Thus, a personal “hit list” for Peterson. Carter and Sharpe were the only critics mentioned by name by Peterson – unsigned until last week – when asked to whom he wants to prove a point. “What I’m going to do when I ball out this year,” Peterson added, “I’m going to have all my fans … look up all the people who (said) something negative about me and put them on blast and prove that when they are on TV, they don’t know what they’re talking about.” Sharpe and Carter, both contacted Wednesday by USA TODAY Sports, understand Peterson to a certain degree. Great players are just that, in part, due to determination and confidence. “I get it,” Sharpe said. “I don’t take it personally. He forgets that Cris and I played the game. We sat in those seats as older players.” Sharpe was 35 when he finished his 14-year career; Carter was 37 when he closed out a 16-year career by playing just five games with the Miami Dolphins in 2002. “Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?” Carter said. “I had no business playing that season. I wouldn’t have admitted it, either. These guys get so sensitive about everything. Adrian had better get over himself. We were all great. But at the end, we all smelled like a baby’s diaper.” At least Peterson is positioned to issue a final statement on the field, with Washington in need after second-round rookie Derrius Guice blew out an ACL. During his preseason debut against the Denver Broncos last Friday, Peterson showed flashes of greatness with keen vision, explosion through holes, jump-cuts and acceleration. On the last of his 11 carries, he bolted off left tackle for a 15-yard gain on a fourth-and-1. In a backfield that includes holdovers Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson, Peterson has the chance to be a lead back again. Last year, Peterson’s move to the New Orleans Saints halted the emergence of Mark Ingram and rookie standout Alvin Kamara. He was averaging just 6.8 carries per game when traded to Arizona in October. The Cardinals needed him while scrambling to fill the void left with David Johnson’s season-ending wrist injury and Peterson started with a bang – producing 134 yards on 26 carries in his Week 6 debut, then rushing 37 times for 159 yards in Week 9. But he had clunkers in which he averaged 1.4 and 1.9 yards per carry, and he missed the final four games after suffering a neck injury. Then came months of rehab, training and waiting for the phone to ring a job offer. “I guess the injury kind of scared them,” he said of his extended time on the market. “Then it’s kind of like, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ “ Think Peterson considered hanging it up? “If anything, I would have played in the Alliance League or something,” he said, referring to the spring league poised to debut in 2019, the Alliance of American Football. “Retirement was not one of my options.” No, Peterson still loves the game that much, still wanting to prove something. Even thinks he can win another rushing title. “I plan on it, he said. “I know that.” Then, he gives an essential shoutout. “A great offensive line is what I’m looking forward to the most,” declared Peterson of a unit that includes stud left tackle Trent Williams. “I haven’t had a line in a long time. New Orleans had a good offensive line, but I really wasn’t able to get much time down there. But this line is top-notch. It’s going to give me something I haven’t seen since the beginning of my career.” While Peterson has typically been more effective as the game wears on, Washington coach Jay Gruden is wary about overloading him. “Early on, we don’t want to give him 30 carries a game,” Gruden said. “We want to ease him in a little bit. We have some other backs that can carry the ball. I think early on, give him 15 or 16 carries a game.” In the past, it would have been foolish to count out Peterson. Remember 2012? He carried the Vikings to the playoffs and nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,105 yards) when he gained 2,097 yards – while coming off a torn ACL and MCL. Yet it’s 2018 now. Questions will persist about how much greatness remains. “You will have that spot game, when you remind people of how good you used to be,” Sharpe said. “But to do it on a continuous basis, I think that’s where the trouble will be for Adrian.” While Sharpe can recall how much longer it took his body to recover from games as he aged, Peterson will have to prove just how special he can be in that regard with the wear and tear of 2,574 rushing attempts in 11 NFL seasons. The odds are against him. Call it added motivation … or a grand delusion, pending further developments. “Hey, you can live outside the box,” Peterson said. “You can do what people tell you that you can’t.” One thing for certain. The challenge is on.<doc-sep>Adrian Peterson, in one preseason game, showed he has plenty left in the tank at running back. (Getty Images) Most people aren’t fans of criticism. That applies to Adrian Peterson, who was signed by the Washington Redskins on Aug. 20. The running back heard some less-than-positive comments made about him by FS1 hosts Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe, and he didn’t like them one bit. What did Carter and Sharpe say? Carter, who co-hosts “First Things First,” and Sharpe, who co-hosts “Undisputed,” both had similar things to say about Peterson on their shows. That at 33, Peterson isn’t the same player he once was. On “Undisputed,” Sharpe said that while Peterson is capable of having big games, getting older means he can’t do it every game anymore. Sharpe also said that Peterson was the best option for the Redskins given what was on the market, but that Peterson is no longer the dominant 2012 or 2013 version of himself. Peterson’s response Peterson spoke to USA Today in the Redskins locker room, and not only was he not thrilled with what Carter and Sharpe said about him, he called them out by name. “Watching some of the things they said about me, man, it really hurt me to the core,” Peterson told USA Today Sports. “Not only are they black men, but these are people I looked up to. And these are people that made mistakes, especially Cris Carter. So some of the things that came out of his mouth, not only personally, but about me as a player – aw, he’s washed up and this, that and the other, and he should just retire – how dare you. “Then Shannon Sharpe, the same thing. He said some things and I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that would come out of your mouth.’ I understand that people are entitled to their opinions. That’s the way of the world. But they are in a position where millions of people are watching them.” Peterson is convinced that he’s got a lot left in the tank, and he intends to make sure Carter and Sharpe know how wrong they are when he eventually succeeds. “What I’m going to do when I ball out this year,” Peterson added, “I’m going to have all my fans … look up all the people who [said] something negative about me and put them on blast and prove that when they are on TV, they don’t know what they’re talking about.” Story continues Carter had his own response to Peterson, though. USA Today contacted him Wednesday to comment on what Peterson had said, and Carter came out swinging. “Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?” Carter said. “I had no business playing that season. I wouldn’t have admitted it, either. These guys get so sensitive about everything. Adrian had better get over himself. We were all great. But at the end, we all smelled like a baby’s diaper.” Bulletin board material There are two sides to every story. Carter and Sharpe both host TV sports shows. Their job is to give analysis and their opinions about what’s happening in football. And since they’re both former players who had careers into their mid to late 30s (Carter played until he was 37, Sharpe until he was 35), they have special insight into what Peterson might be experiencing. On the other side, Peterson is just 33 and obviously doesn’t appreciate being talked about like his career is wheezing toward death. Despite Peterson’s sharp words for Carter and Sharpe, this may end up being beneficial for him. Some are spurred to success by people saying they won’t succeed, and Peterson is using their comments as bulletin board material. Peterson may not like criticism, but in this case, it could help him prove the doubters wrong. – – – – – – Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher. More from Yahoo Sports: • U.S. Open apologizes for ‘sexist’ code violation • Raisman slams USAG: ‘A slap in the face for survivors’ • The QBs who could become NFL’s first $200M man • Charles Robinson: NFL player charged in brazen insider trading scheme<doc-sep>
Nick Wass/Associated Press Washington Redskins running back Adrian Peterson admitted Thursday that he took issue with things recently said about him by former NFL stars and current FS1 television hosts Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe. According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Peterson said he had a problem with Carter and Sharpe's doubts over his ability to be productive in 2018 at the age of 33: "Watching some of the things they said about me, man, it really hurt me to the core. Not only are they black men, but these are people I looked up to. And these are people that made mistakes, especially Cris Carter. So some of the things that came out of his mouth, not only personally, but about me as a player—aw, he's washed up and this, that and the other, and he should just retire—how dare you? "Then Shannon Sharpe, the same thing. He said some things and I'm just like, 'Wow, I can't believe that would come out of your mouth.' I understand that people are entitled to their opinions. That's the way of the world. But they are in a position where millions of people are watching them." Peterson signed with the Redskins on Aug. 20, and he is poised to assume a big role in Washington's backfield following the season-ending injury suffered by rookie running back Derrius Guice. Despite averaging just 3.4 yards per carry in 10 games split between the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals last season, Peterson is confident he will have the last laugh: "What I'm going to do when I ball out this year, I'm going to have all my fans ... look up all the people who [said] something negative about me and put them on blast and prove that when they are on TV, they don't know what they're talking about." Video Play Button Videos you might like Neither Carter nor Sharpe had a problem with Peterson's reaction, but they didn't back down from their comments either. After making eight Pro Bowls in 12 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Carter appeared in five games for the Miami Dolphins in 2002 at the age of 37. "Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?" Carter said, per Bell. "I had no business playing that season. I wouldn't have admitted it, either. These guys get so sensitive about everything. Adrian had better get over himself. We were all great. But at the end, we all smelled like a baby's diaper." Sharpe essentially echoed Carter's sentiments, saying, "I get it. I don't take it personally. He forgets that Cris and I played the game. We sat in those seats as older players." Both Carter and Sharpe are Hall of Famers, and Peterson will likely join them as a first-ballot choice five years after he retires. While Peterson led the NFL with 1,485 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns with the Vikes in 2015, he has been plagued by injuries and ineffectiveness since then. He showed flashes of brilliance in a preseason game against the Denver Broncos last week, though, rushing for 56 yards on 11 carries. Since neither Rob Kelley nor Samaje Perine have taken full advantage of their opportunities in Washington, Peterson will have a chance to receive the bulk of the work alongside third-down back Chris Thompson.