Peterson is expected to work in a backup role during Sunday's game versus Washington with D'Andre Swift set to make his first career start, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though Peterson has been serving as Detroit's starter through the team's first eight games, he hasn't handled the typical workload normally associated with that role. Peterson has failed to play more than 40 percent of Detroit's offensive snaps in six of those contests, with his usage most frequently taking a hit when the Lions are trailing and forced into pass-heavy game scripts. The fact that Swift is now getting the start ahead of him could signal that Peterson's role as the Lions' top ballcarrier on early downs may be in jeopardy, though Pelissero notes that Detroit is still expected to use a mix of the two and Kerryon Johnson out of the backfield in Week 10.