Patrick Peterson officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, closing a significant chapter of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. The 34-year-old cornerback, as ten of his thirteen years in the NFL, is making his impact felt in Arizona. He became an instant fan favorite, emerging as the team’s most exciting player.
The Cardinals selected Peterson with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Starting from his rookie season, he soon became one of the best defensive backs the league ever had. During his time with the Cardinals, Peterson made eight straight Pro Bowls from 2011 to 2018. On top of that, he pulled off the mythic feat of being named a three-time first-team All-Pro.
Poison Peterson’s time in Arizona was a mixture of accomplishments and discord. In 2018, he became a national story when he demanded a trade out of town, unhappy with how the team was purportedly tanking. After some hard conversations with team ownership, he ultimately chose to fulfill his contract, which ran through the end of 2020. After that season, Peterson signed with the Minnesota Vikings but instead spent 2023 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Peterson’s career was an incredible testament to versatility and athleticism. He still holds the record for most interceptions all time (36) in 201 career games, returning two for touchdowns. Whether it was on kicks or punts, he made his presence felt immediately as a weapons grade return guy. In his rookie year, he gained 1,816 yards on 195 punt returns with four touchdowns. On top of that, he had 75 yards on four kick returns.
On Monday, Peterson was back inside the Cardinals’ practice facility for a retirement ceremony. The event premiered a short highlight video that was a testament to his long and fruitful career. Former teammates, including receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer, paid tribute to Peterson’s contributions to the team and the community.
Peterson did take time to ponder his legacy in Arizona. He got real about the personal issues he faced in that last season with the Leafs. He buried the majority of disparaging emails that were placed on my chair during the 2020 season. As of that writing, he had yet to talk with former Cardinals general manager Steve Keim. Keim was planning not to re-sign him after that season anyway.
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