NFL free agency is heating up, and the Steelers have finally joined the action.
The Steelers have agreed to terms with Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson on a two-year contract. The deal is worth $14 million with $5.85 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network.
Pittsburgh lost Cam Sutton via free agency on a three-year, $33-million agreement with the Lions. But, adding a player of Peterson's caliber sure softens the blow of losing Sutton.
On his podcast, All Things Covered, featuring former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden, Peterson said the signing with the Steelers came "out of left field," but that he's "always been a big fan" of Mike Tomlin.
"I've been a big fan of how Mike T teams have been prepared to play any given football team, even if they're outmatched on paper," Peterson said. "He's going to have his team prepared to fight. ... A Mike Tomlin team will have his team prepared for the playoffs."
Peterson is up there in age at 32 years old, which typically doesn't translate well at a position like cornerback. However, the three-time All-Pro still intercepted five passes and recorded 15 passes defended in a Vikings' secondary that was inconsistent at best. The Pro Football Focus folks were just as impressed, giving him an 80.7 grade in 2022, which was the second-highest mark of his 12-year career.
Peterson intercepted 6.9% of passes thrown into his coverage this season, which was the fifth-best mark in the NFL, and his 0.81 yards per coverage snap allowed also a top-15 mark. Peterson's still a great coverage cornerback, earning an 82.5 coverage grade from PFF, which trailed only three other players, including Jets' rookie phenom Sauce Gardner.
Peterson's ability to cover on the outside certainly deepens a room that only includes Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet. James Pierre could be brought back into the fold at a reasonable price since he's a restricted free agent.
However, Peterson's ability to take the ball away is one thing that aligns with what the Steelers value at cornerback. His 34 career interceptions are tied with Harrison Smith for the most of any active player, and his five picks last season were his most since 2012. There's no question the ball skills are still there.
"(I'll be) the same exact player they saw last year -- and more," Peterson said regarding what fans should expect out of him. "I'm in the lab working right now."
And, even though he'll turn 33 before the 2023 season begins, Peterson isn't entertaining any notion that his age will slow him down.
"I'm done talking about my age," Peterson said. "The proof is in the pudding. I know I can still ball. I train different from everybody across the league."
Swapping Sutton for Peterson certainly changes the dynamic in the defensive backs room. The overall performance between Sutton and Peterson is in a similar tier, but signing Peterson adds a guy who's got some skins on the wall. And, if the Steelers still prioritize cornerback in the draft, there might not be a better player to learn from than Peterson.
For Peterson, he said his goal was to play 14 years in the NFL. With 12 years under his belt, the two-year deal sets it up perfectly for him to end his illustrious career in Pittsburgh. And, he's excited about joining a franchise with the history the Steelers boast.
"I can't wait to get my kids their Terrible Towels," Peterson said.
Regarding what jersey number Peterson will wear, he said he'd love to wear No. 7 as he did in Minnesota. However, that won't happen as Ben Roethlisberger's number will be reserved the same way as other Steelers legends. Peterson also wore No. 21 during his days with the Cardinals, but Tre Norwood currently has that number.
Of course, Peterson might have the resources to buy that number if Norwood wanted to give it to him.
