Recently released Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson thinks the addition of quarterback Russell Wilson is going to make the Steelers a problem in the AFC. He also believes Mike Tomlin and Wilson are a perfect fit.
“I think this is a match made in heaven… When you have a head coach that has the ability to gear his team up for whatever that presents itself and then you have a quarterback that has that same fire… That could be a dangerous football team,” Peterson said on Good Morning Football Thursday.
“And we all know what Russ is capable of doing. I believe this could put Coach Tomlin back in his Ben Roethlisberger days when Ben was able to extend time and deliver the ball to wide open receivers. And also having a defense that could get off the field and win in crunch time moments. So, I believe this is a match made in heaven.”
There was a report by The Athletic that members of Denver’s coaching staff believed that Wilson having his own office in the team facility, on the second floor where the Broncos’ coaches and executives have their offices, was bad for the the camaraderie of the team.
Peterson said that won’t be an issue in Pittsburgh, as Wilson won’t be given any special treatment.
“That is not flying in Pittsburgh,” he said. “That organization just wants to win, and they have things in place that they believe will help their players be successful. Coach Tomlin, that’s not going to fly in that facility one bit. But Russ understands what he’s getting into, because I had the opportunity to text him and give him a little brief synopsis of what he’s getting himself into. Just told him how great Coach Tomlin is, how great the training staff is. They’re going to do everything possible to put him in position to win.”
Peterson also told the show that the door is not closed to make a return to Pittsburgh. He 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.”
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