Adrian Peterson turned down 'Dancing with the Stars' to focus on football

Adrian Peterson had to patiently wait until the middle of the NFL season for a team to sign him, but he could have landed a different gig two months ago. That job would have required him to hone a new set of skills.

Peterson’s agent, Ron Slavin, told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that a representative from “Dancing with the Stars” reached out to the veteran running back in early September. The producers would have given Peterson the option of leaving the show if he signed with an NFL team, but Peterson turned the offer down because he wanted to focus solely on football.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Peterson was offered $150,000 just to rehearse for “Dancing with the Stars.” He would have been paid up to $335,000 for the show itself. However, Peterson believed at the time that he had a chance to sign with the Baltimore Ravens due to their rash of running back injuries. They expressed interest at one point but chose not to sign the 36-year-old.

The patience paid off for Peterson. He signed with the Tennessee Titans earlier this week in the wake of Derrick Henry’s foot injury, which could be season-ending. Peterson should have an opportunity to play a huge role in one of the most productive rushing offenses in the NFL.