Recently released Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson said Thursday on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football that the door is not closed to make a return to Pittsburgh. He also added that all he cares about at this point of his career is to win a Super Bowl ring.
“I would love to return back to Pittsburgh, had a great, me and coach (Mike) Tomlin had a great dialogue when I got that dreaded call of being released,” he said. “But being there in Pittsburgh I had the time of my life, being with coach Tomlin, seeing how he was able to get his guys up week in and week out, no matter what the circumstances were, he told me the door’s still open for business, so we’ll see what happens here in the next couple weeks and month or two, and hopefully I can be a Pittsburgh Steeler again. But a team that is looking for a veteran corner, I’m out there.
“I definitely want to give it another shot to fulfill my long dream and to go win a championship.”
The Steelers acquired cornerback Donte Jackson when dealing wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday night. Jackson is set up to serve as the Steelers’ No. 2 cornerback. Peterson doesn’t care where he plays on the defense, he’s ready to put his hand in the pile.
“Well, that’s always kind of been my motto, even when I was a young pup coming into the league when I never really had that opportunity to showcase my different talents,” he said when asked about playing safety. “But with the Pittsburgh Steelers and coach Tomlin gave me that opportunity to do that, and I feel like I excelled at the position pretty well, so I am that guy that’s willing to play wherever, whenever, however you need me to play in order to help this defense be successful.”
Even with Jackson added, the Steelers are still thin in the secondary, so Peterson very well could return to Pittsburgh when the dust settles.
Peterson, 33, played one season with the Steelers in 2023 and had been under contract for 2024. His release brought the Steelers significant salary cap savings.
An eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Peterson was a first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2o11 and spent 10 seasons in the desert, where he collected most of the accolades that make up a Hall of Fame resume. He was a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade team as one of the most decorated cornerbacks of his time. And he hopes he can return to help Joey Porter Jr.
“We don’t have any other corners on the roster that’s healthy, that’s under contract. I’m not taking credit for Joey [Porter Jr.], Joey is Joey. Joey’s going to be a great player, but I was in Joey’s shoes before. I was once Joey, following the number one guys, understanding that responsibility, how important that responsibility is, how there are no days off with that responsibility. I want to be able to help Joey, help his career continue to flourish. Joey can be so special, but he has no one there that can help him get to where he wants to go,” Peterson said on the All Things Covered podcast.
Peterson signed with the Steelers in 2023, citing a long-time desire to play for head coach Mike Tomlin and also to play for the franchise of his cousin, former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden. Peterson and McFadden share a podcast, All Things Covered.
In 2023, Peterson started 16 of 17 games and played in 97% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps, while also showing off a significant level of versatility that had not been tapped earlier in his career.
Peterson played 208 snaps as a slot cornerback in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, nearly double his previous career high. He also played 105 snaps of box safety, also near double his previous high mark, and 218 snaps of free safety, despite playing just a handful over his first 12 seasons.
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