Pittsburgh Steelers Patrick Peterson Sent Strong Message To Team About…
“At this point in time, the draft is rapidly approaching,” Peterson stated. “Teams are still working to fill out their rosters, but in the meanwhile, you want to make sure that you’re not receiving any BS from the club you play for. After the draft, when clubs have a better idea of what players they have on their squads and what they might need to add to further bolster them, I believe there will be a lot more signings. My agent and I have spoken with a few clubs, but nothing too serious as of yet. However, discussions have taken place, and as I previously stated, we’ll see what transpires over the coming months.
In 2023, Peterson participated in 97% of Pittsburgh’s defensive plays, started 16 of 17 games, and displayed a high degree of flexibility that had not been utilized in his career so far.
According to Pro Football Focus, Peterson played 208 snaps as a slot cornerback in 2023, almost double his previous career total high.Despite playing seldom over his first 12 seasons, he also played 218 plays at free safety and 105 snaps of box safety, nearly double his previous best total. Peterson performed ok at safety but occasionally had trouble tackling, which is a vital part of the job.
Until he is informed before to the season so that he may make preparations, Peterson is not amenable to playing safety.
Peterson remarked, “I don’t want to start at safety because that’s a different animal, a different view.” “If that is the case, I should be informed ahead of time so I can prepare my body and mind for the season.” Since playing safety differs from playing cornerback and having those open-field tackles. … And you’re the last line of defense. Thus, should that be the case, I would require notification and most likely seek guidance from an established safety net such as Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed.
At the NFL owner’s meetings, Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, stated that they are keeping the door open for Peterson to return.
As well, we’re game,” Tomlin remarked. “But, you know, we have a ton of business ahead of us, so we just felt it was right to be open and honest with him so he could evaluate the whole picture.”
Peterson could wind up becoming that player, but Tomlin is aware that there are names on the board considering how the slot cornerback position is still developing draft or after the draft.
In 2023, Peterson joined the Steelers, expressing a lifelong dream to play for both his cousin, former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden’s team, and head coach Mike Tomlin. McFadden and Peterson both listen to the podcast All Things Covered.
Eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Peterson was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played for ten seasons in the desert, gathering most of the honors that go on a Hall of Fame CV. He was one of the most accomplished cornerbacks of his era and was selected to the NFL 2010 All-Decade squad. And he wishes to come back and support Joey Porter Jr.
Peterson thanked Tomlin for his one season with the coach and indicated his desire to rejoin the team. Whether Peterson or someone else fills that place, it will now be up to the Steelers and how the draft board is arranged. However, if that happens, it will be a post-draft signing.