Then-rookie Dwayne Hoskins posted a 2-5 record after taking over as the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback in the middle of last season, but teammate Adrian Peterson expects improvement from the Ohio State product in 2020.
“I want to see him blossom. I’m expecting big things from him,” Peterson said Thursday in a conference call with reporters. “I know he’s been in his book and he’s working hard to be that leader that we need him to be.
“I think last year was an eye opener for him, just the transition he went through from training camp to the end of the season. I was able to see him grow. That’s what I look forward for him to do with this new system and helping this team win a championship.”
Hoskins, who turned 23 this month, finished 2019 with 1,365 passing yards, completing 58.6 percent of his attempts while throwing seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Peterson, meanwhile, had the lowest yardage total of his career among seasons in which he played more than 12 games. In 15 appearances (all starts), he gained 898 yards on 211 carries and ran for five touchdowns.
He will return to a team with a new head coach, Ron Rivera, the former Carolina Panthers head coach who was hired by Washington on Dec. 31. The Redskins fired Jay Gruden in October following an 0-5 start, and interim coach Bill Callahan produced a 3-8 mark the rest of the season.
Rivera subsequently brought in Scott Turner to serve as offensive coordinator. Turner previously served as an assistant coach with the Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
Peterson said of the transition to a new offense, “Turner was in Minnesota, so some of the offensive is kind of familiar, but one thing I’ve taken from his offense thus far is, the running back has a really big role. So, they’re going to ask us to do a lot of things, we’re going to have multiple backs on the field at times as well. Just going over and learning offense right now has been exciting to see, just our role in our offense.”
The Redskins bulked up at running back in the offseason, signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Peyton Barber to a free agent deal and selecting Antonio Gibson out of Memphis in the third round of last month’s draft.
“Both of those guys are talented, especially the young guy coming in and what he was able to do in school,” Peterson said. “I think it was a good move. It was a good move by the Redskins organization. When you’ve got good players and playmakers out there, you want to add those guys to your team.
“Obviously, our ultimate goal is winning a championship, so if we feel like, it doesn’t matter what position it is, if this guy can be effective and help this team win, then you bring those guys on. I’m excited to actually get back out there, put the pads on, and see how these guys look in person.”
