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The Tennessee Titans lost Derrick Henry to a foot injury in Week 8. Without their franchise running back and the engine of their offense, the Titans scrambled for a solution.
Many expected the Titans to pick who many think is the best free agent on the market, Todd Gurley. However, the Titans elected to sign Adrian Peterson, the one-time great running back of the Minnesota Vikings.
But in his first game against the Los Angeles Rams, the running back was less than stellar. Granted, he scored a touchdown, but ultimately averaged 2.1 yards per carry and had 21 yards in the contest.
With Gurley still available, the Titans should be thinking long and hard about sticking with Peterson over the long haul. Here are three reasons why Gurley would be the better option.
3 reasons why the Titans should get Todd Gurley
#1 - Gurley is younger
At 36 years old, Adrian Peterson is long past the typical retirement age for running backs. Due to his age, the running back is slower, increasingly prone to injury, and not as powerful.
On some level, Peterson should be commended for living life to the fullest and treating his age like a piece of trivia instead of a way of life.
However, considering how violent and difficult the NFL is, it is better suited to the younger players who still have plenty of tread on their tires. Todd Gurley is 27 years old, almost a decade younger than Peterson.
So, by default, the Titans will be getting someone faster, less prone to injury, and more powerful than Peterson.
#2 - Better performances recently
Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson have both surprisingly been similarly effective over the last two years. However, the ceiling with Gurley over the last three years is higher than that of Peterson.
Both running backs' most recent 1,000-yard seasons came in 2018. But Gurley had more yards and touchdowns than Peterson that season.
Adrian Peterson had seven touchdowns and 1,042 yards that season. Todd Gurley had 17 touchdowns and 1,251 yards that season.
Put simply, Gurley has a higher ceiling than Peterson.
#3 - More recent playoff experience
Gurley has more recent playoff experience than Peterson does. Peterson's last playoff game came back in 2015.
Todd Gurley was in the Super Bowl just three years ago. On the surface, this may not seem like much.
But there is something to be said about having more recent playoff experience under the brightest lights of the NFL season. The Titans are currently in the driver's seat in the AFC, so they have aspirations of hopefully getting a high seed for the playoffs.
The hope is that Henry may be back by then, but in case he isn't, it would be nice to have Gurley as a backup. Additionally, he may also be the closest scheme fit for the Titans over Peterson.
Henry may be gone for the season, but the Titans could get one of the top rushers before Henry. Instead, they opted for the top rusher around the turn of the 2010s.
