Adrian Peterson or Rashard Mendenhall? The NFL Stat Breakdown

The career statistics tell a clear story in this RB comparison. Adrian Peterson holds the advantage in 6 of 6 key categories, with Rushing Yards representing the most decisive gap — a 252.2% difference that separates these two NFL players. This is not a close debate on the numbers.

Adrian Peterson's Rushing Yards of 14,918 compared to Rashard Mendenhall's 4,236 represents a 252.2% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Rashard Mendenhall falls 23% below the career average of 5500 in this category while Adrian Peterson exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Adrian Peterson's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Yards Per Carry, where Adrian Peterson posts 4.6 against Rashard Mendenhall's 3.9 — a gap of just 17.9%. Rashard Mendenhall can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 6-0 tally suggests. In any debate, Yards Per Carry is the statistical ammunition for the Rashard Mendenhall side.

Running back careers are defined by efficiency as much as volume. Yards per carry separates elite backs from good ones, while receiving ability from the backfield has become increasingly valuable in the modern NFL.

Adrian Peterson wins this head to head comparison decisively — 6 categories to 0. The 252.2% gap in Rushing Yards alone makes a compelling case, but the consistency across multiple categories confirms Adrian Peterson's statistical superiority in this NFL career comparison.