Titans' Adrian Peterson Turned Down 'Dancing with the Stars' to Pursue NFL Contract

Adrian Peterson reportedly turned down dancing for football.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the running back rejected an offer to appear on Dancing with the Stars in September even though he was not with a team. Peterson wanted to keep his attention on a possible return to the gridiron even though producers would have allowed him to leave the show if a team signed him.

He is now a member of the Tennessee Titans, who added him to help make up for the production lost in light of Derrick Henry's injury.

Tennessee elevated Peterson to the 53-man roster Friday, which means he could see the field as early as Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Rams.

"I feel good," Peterson said. "If they call my number, I'm going to go out there and contribute any way that I can. I do a great job of keeping myself prepared for a moment like this."

While the 36-year-old has yet to play this season and is past his prime, he is one of the best running backs in NFL history. His resume includes the 2012 MVP, the 2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year, four All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl nods.

The Oklahoma product led the NFL in rushing in 2008, 2012 and 2015 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he played during the first 10 seasons of his career.

He has since turned out for the Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Washington Football Team and Detroit Lions. Peterson appeared in all 16 games for Detroit last season and tallied 604 rushing yards, 101 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Henry now fills the role Peterson used to as the best running back in the NFL. The Titans star led the league in rushing yards in each of the past two seasons and sits atop the league again this year with 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground through eight games.

Replacing him will be no easy task, and Peterson will likely split opportunities with Jeremy McNichols as the Titans look to parlay their 6-2 start into a playoff appearance.