For the second time, the Arizona Cardinals will face one of their former players — cornerback Patrick Peterson — in a Week 8 matchup this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson is in his second season with Minnesota and faced the Cardinals last season when Arizona won 34-33 in State Farm Stadium.
The Cardinals drafted Peterson with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. In Peterson's first five years with the Cardinals, he was voted to the All-Pro team three times. He made the Pro Bowl eight times in his 10 seasons with the Cardinals before leaving as a free agent in 2021.
On his podcast, “All Things Covered,” with Bryant McFadden last week before the Vikings’ bye, Peterson gave a bold prediction on the matchup with Arizona.
“I’m getting two (interceptions) October 30,” he said on the podcast. “You already know who we are playing.”
Peterson signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in March of 2021. Three months after joining Minnesota, Peterson ripped general manager Steve Keim for not answering his texts when he dove into the free agency market.
“We’re all grown men here, we’re not in high school,” Peterson said. “For him to do that, yo, I lost all respect for him, man… That was the ultimate disrespect right there.”
It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows with Peterson in Arizona. During the 2018 season, he requested a trade after a 1-6 start and "desperately wanted out." Then in 2019, he missed six games due to violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy.
But he's found a home in Minnesota and re-signed to another one-year deal with the team in the offseason.
In Minnesota's last game against the Miami Dolphins, Peterson had an interception and three pass breakups. They won 24-16 in that matchup and are currently 5-1 for the season and first in the NFC North.
Peterson's now 32 years old and, of course, isn't the same player from 10 years ago who had a career-best seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries.
But Peterson has a solid 73.0 PFF defensive grade in 2022 and can clearly still play the cornerback position in a pass-happy league.
He has the full confidence to go out there and perform in his 12th season in the league.
“The body feels great. The energy level is always going to be there, and just my passion and my fire to not only be my best but to try to be the best out of my teammates,” Peterson said Thursday. “That’s the joy that I get out of it: putting that fire into others and helping them reach their full potential.”
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