Seahawks put Adrian Peterson on injured list. His Seattle legacy: 1 game and Rashaad Penny

Adrian Peterson’s Seahawks career is over, after one game.

Yet in that short time, Rashaad Penny may have the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer to thank for reviving his career.

The team placed Peterson on practice-squad injured reserve Wednesday. That makes him ineligible to be promoted to the roster for either of Seattle’s final two games of the season, Sunday against Detroit and Jan. 9 at Arizona.

Peterson has not been able to practice since his only Seahawks game. He signed Dec. 1 then rushed for 16 yards on 11 carries including his 126th career touchdown Dec. 5 in the Seahawks’ home win over San Francisco.

His 1-yard touchdown run against the 49ers tied Peterson with legendary Jim Brown for 10th in NFL history for total touchdowns.

Though injured and unable to practice, Peterson has remained at the Seahawks facility in Renton for meetings and mentoring.

Coaches and players have remarked how striking and obvious Peterson’s work ethic is, even at age 36 in routine practices on a losing team he just got to in December, on a coast far away from his home in Texas.

“He’s been around the whole time. And he’s been an active participant in whatever he can do, not so much on the field but whenever we are around it,” coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. “He still influences people, strongly, with his presence and all that.

“It’s been a shame that he just got going, had a big game, and then we are trying to keep moving and he just didn’t make it back from that game.

“It’s so obvious. I mean, it’s really, it’s one of the obvious impressions that someone can make. It was just — the coaches, the players, everybody — the way he jumped out here and the way he worked, for whatever reason it was just so complete. In his effort, in his focus and his intention to do the right thing, and all, that it just impressed everybody.”

Carroll said the most direct and obvious benefit of Peterson being a Seahawk is how it has inspired Penny.

The first-round pick from 2018 was slogging through November hurt again, limping to the end of his rookie contract after four years of injury upon injury and lost opportunities. But Penny had flourished since Peterson signed with Seattle.

Penny came back from missing a game with a hamstring injury to run past 49ers defenders on a 27-yard screen pass Dec. 5.

The following week, Penny got his second career start. It became his career day. He set his NFL bests with 137 yards on 16 carries with two, explosive touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 20-point win at Houston.

Penny has started each game since. He nearly re-set his career high with 135 yards last weekend in Seattle’s one-point home loss to Chicago.

After that game, Carroll was about Penny possibly playing back into the Seahawks’ plans for 2022, past his expiring contract. The coach said the team needed Penny.

“You guys have got to ask Rashaad what he would tell you. But I would think (Peterson) might have had as much impact on Rashaad as anybody.”

To Carroll, that is the legacy Peterson is leaving in his one game and four weeks as a Seahawk.

“It does say a tremendous amount about him, his character, his makeup, his stature as a player, but also what he represents as a competitor,” Carroll said.

“I mean, he’s the ultimate.”

As if sensing Peterson would have only that bit role, Carroll and his offense really wanted Peterson to get that touchdown against San Francisco. He lined up multiple times that day as the tailback in a true I formation, behind fullback Nick Bellore. Those were a handful of the just 13 snaps Bellore has had on offense this season. He been a linebacker and special-teams captain the rest of the season.

Bellore joked after the 49ers game he doubted Peterson knew his name as he was blocking for the four-time All-Pro running back and 2012 NFL most valuable player on his runs that day.

Peterson played 54 snaps in three games last month for Tennessee before the Titans released him. He signed with then-3-8 Seattle after lead back Chris Carson had season-ending neck surgery, Penny was hurt again and Alex Collins was trying to play through an abdominal injury.

The former NFL MVP with Minnesota is fifth all-time in rushing yards, with 14,918. He’s 351 yards behind Barry Sanders for fourth.

The day after he signed with the Seahawks, Peterson was asked: Why?

“Just the love for the game. I love the game,” he said. “I feel like I can still compete at a high level.

“Just having opportunities to help teams, to inspire guys, that’s one of the most rewarding things. When I see guys and they say to me to just keep doing what you’re doing, it’s so inspiring.”