The Seahawks also signed receiver Cade Johnson and safety Elijah Benton to the practice squad Wednesday.
The Seahawks have been without top running back Chris Carson for most of the season, the result of a neck injury that required season-ending surgery, and two other backs, Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer, are dealing with injuries that kept them out of last week’s game. Alex Collins, who has handled the starting role since Carson’s injury, has been playing through an abdominal injury for multiple weeks. With a short-handed rushing attack, the Seahawks rushed for a season-low 34 yards on 12 carries in Monday’s loss to Washington, with two Russell Wilson scrambles accounting for 16 of those yards.
Peterson, 36, is a seven-time Pro-Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, last accomplishing both in 2015 with Minnesota, where he spent the first 10 seasons of his career. A member of the 2010s NFL All-Decade team, Peterson led the league in rushing in 2008, 2012 and 2015, and earned MVP honors in 2012 when he rushed for 2,097 yards, the second-highest total in NFL history behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984. Peterson’s 119 rushing touchdowns rank fourth all time.
