Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson has made it quite clear that he wants to play a 14th NFL season in 2024. He’s just waiting for an opportunity.
After stating his desire to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers and play for head coach Mike Tomlin for a second season, Peterson has largely been quiet about other opportunities.
Until Monday.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Peterson revealed that he’s had a couple of conversations with the Dallas Cowboys and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was his head coach in Minnesota for the 2021 season.
“Coach Zimmer, there in Dallas, had a couple of conversations with them,” Peterson said, according to video via The Rich Eisen Show YouTube page. “But I think it’s just all going to come down to seeing how guys and the team is looking after minicamps.”
Following a dominant run in Arizona that spanned 10 seasons, Peterson found himself as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season. Shockingly, he landed in Minnesota as a curious fit in Zimmer’s defense.
In the 2021 season with the Vikings, Peterson had a pick-six and five passes defensed in 13 games, grading out a 63.0 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 61.0 in coverage. In 2021, Peterson allowed 37 receptions for 455 yards and three touchdowns, playing heavy-man coverage for the Vikings that season, being largely left on an island by Zimmer.
Peterson bounced back in 2022, recording five interceptions after Zimmer was let go following the 2021 season. But now, as a free agent, Peterson is eying the Cowboys, who could also use some help in the secondary with Stephon Gilmore still a free agent and Trevon Diggs recovering from a serious knee injury.
“Now that teams and guys are in OTAs, they’re trying to see and move a couple guys around and see how the roster’s gonna be looking going into training camp,” he said. “So, those are two teams (Steelers and Cowboys) right now that we had conversations with. But we’ll see; we’ll see where it goes.”
Last season with the Steelers, Peterson got off to a slow start, but late in the season, the veteran showed off his versatility, being able to play inside, outside, and at safety. He showed not only the Steelers but other teams that he can move around and still be effective at this point in his career as he enters his age-34 season.
The Steelers released Peterson on March 8, saving the Steelers $6.85 million against the cap at the time of the move. Since then, Pittsburgh has drafted Ryan Watts and signed Beanie Bishop Jr. as an undrafted free agent, traded for Donte Jackson, and added veteran Anthony Averett following a rookie minicamp tryout.
Peterson has remained open to a return to the Steelers, while Pittsburgh reportedly hasn’t closed the door on a reunion with the future Hall of Famer. For now, Peterson continues to look around the league for another opportunity, one that includes the Cowboys, whom the Steelers will host in Week 5 on Sunday Night Football.
