Adrian Peterson implies that Drew Brees beat him in a Saints conditioning test

On Brees, Peterson simply said 'he's the truth'

Adrian Peterson's time with the Saints may have involved some clashing egos, but it certainly didn't leave him with diminished respect for quarterback Drew Brees. Peterson was with the Saints for fewer than six months but he was immediately impressed by the work ethic of the 39-year-old quarterback.

Peterson, known as an athletic marvel himself, had nothing but good things to say about Brees' workout regimen.

"Being up there in New Orleans just for that short period of time, and just seeing him, man, I'm talking about clockwork. You see this guy out on the field two hours before practice and he's going through his fundamentals," Peterson, 33, said on 97.9 Houston's Madd Hatta Morning Show. "He's in the weight room. He's lifting. He's cut up. The funny thing is once we did our conditioning test, that's probably the first time I ever lost a conditioning test."

This is in line with what head coach Sean Payton said last summer, when he indicated that Brees finished first or second in the team's conditioning test but wouldn't say which, according to The Times-Picayune.

It's easy to believe Peterson's comments on Brees being "clockwork." In the only game he's sat out as a Saint -- a 2015 showdown with the Panthers -- Brees stood on the sideline and mimicked taking every snap (down to the huddle clap) while Luke McCown was in the game.

Brees' numbers certainly weren't those of a 39 year old last season. Albeit with the best running game that he's had since the Saints' Super Bowl team in 2009, Brees completed 72 percent of his passes for 4,334 yards, 23 touchdowns and just eight interceptions (his lowest total since joining the Saints in 2006).

Peterson added that once he lost that test, which he described as "some type of CrossFit-type training and some rowing and stuff like that," it "really opened my eyes. Man, Drew Brees, he's the truth, you know."

Entering his 18th season and his 12th with the Saints, Brees is looking to improve upon last season. The Saints lost to the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round on a miracle play. This year, in a tough NFC South, Brees will be without star running back Mark Ingram for four games due to a suspension, so a bit more weight will rest on Brees' shoulders, at least early on -- although Alvin Kamara will undoubtedly help to alleviate that load.