The Steelers defense belongs to Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and T.J. Watt.
That statement doesn't come from a point of analysis or because those three have been the voices and the primary impact players on the defense for a significant amount of time. Rather, it comes as a sign of respect and point of view from a defensive back who has earned respect because of his points of view across his 12 NFL seasons.
Patrick Peterson has carved out a Hall of Fame-worthy career, having made eight Pro Bowls, three All-Pro first teams, and being elected to the 2010s All-Decade Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has been an impact player since the day the Arizona Cardinals drafted him fifth overall in 2011, and he continued that over his two seasons in Minnesota, including by posting five interceptions last season.
Clad in a gold No. 20 practice jersey during the opening week of organized team activities at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, the 32-year-old Peterson is in full understanding that he is here to play a specific role within a re-loaded secondary.
"I'm just coming to help as best as I can," Peterson said after Wednesday's practice on the South Side. "This is Cam, Minkah, T.J's team. I'm just coming to do my part, and if that's to take a little weight off their shoulders with leadership, so be it. If it's to gather the guys around more, so be it. I'm just here to give a helping hand. I'm not coming here to look to take over the locker room or re-define my position on this football team. I just want to come here and help this team get as good as it can be."
Peterson was a part of a massive overhaul to the Steelers' secondary over the offseason. Ahkello Witherspoon, Cam Sutton, Arthur Maulet, and William Jackson have departed, Damontae Kazee was re-signed, and Peterson, Keanu Neal, and Chandon Sullivan were brought in as free agents prior to the start of OTAs.
Not to mention, there is the mentorship quotient which Peterson brings to rookies Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr.
"It's definitely all falling into place," Peterson said. "(Porter is) a young guy that wants the knowledge, he wants the information. And when you have young guys like that, you just can't help but to pour into them. I don't know how many years I have left. He's a rookie. At some point the torch is going to be passed to him. I just want to continue to help him show him how to find his way, how to find his resume, or what may help him throughout the week. What may help him may be different for me. I just want to continue teaching him how to find his way to become a better athlete."
Peterson is reunited with defensive backs coach Grady Brown, who was a defensive quality coach at LSU for Peterson's final two seasons in 2009 and 2010. Peterson said he had an "unbelievable relationship" with Brown while at LSU, and that "we should've ended up together last year" on the Steelers.
Of course, Peterson played the last two seasons in Minnesota, though he was there on one-year deals each season. He signed a two-year deal to become a Steeler in March.
His impact is already shaping how the secondary will look in 2023. Aside from Sullivan reprising his role inside the slot and alongside Peterson, just as the two did in Minnesota, it also is prompting a shift for Levi Wallace.
Wallace played on the left side last season, in his first with the Steelers after spending four years in Buffalo. Now that Peterson is back as a primary left-side cornerback, Wallace gets to go back to a position he is most comfortable in.
"I played a lot more in Buffalo on the right side," Wallace said. "Pat, most of his career, I've seen him play on the left side, so we just kind of went back to our normal spots. Nothing too deep into it. Obviously he gets seniority, but I don't want to make it hard on him anyways. I've studied Pat for a long time and how he plays, and I've always seen him on the left side. So, last year when I went to the left side I was like, 'let me see how Pat moves on the left side.' When he came here, I'm like, man, I'll go play right where I'm comfortable. It was an easy transition."
Whereas Porter and Trice profile as physical, press cornerbacks, Peterson fits as a cornerback with superior ball skills. His five interceptions last season were his most since intercepting seven in 2012. The same can be said for his 15 passes defended in 2022, as that was the most for him since defending 16 in 2012.
"Pat is so physically gifted by himself," Wallace said. "It's hard to mimic how he plays. But, it's his instincts that he has finding the ball. It's truly remarkable. I've tried to mirror my game like that and not think so much about football and just be a football player like he does, and I've been successful in the past at doing that."
With Porter and Trice adding depth as rookies, there is much to like about what the Steelers' cornerbacks can bring in the 2023 season. The Steelers' pass defense ranked 20th in the NFL, and the 29 passing touchdowns allowed were four fewer than Kansas City's 33 for the most in the NFL.
That is expected to be improved upon in 2023, and it all starts with the future Hall of Famer bringing his expertise to the room.
"I love the way that coach (Mike) Tomlin runs the practices, meetings, just making sure guys understand their role, understand what they need to accomplish today," Peterson said. "There's always a purpose when you take the football field. You feel that, guys understand that. We're just trying to get better each and every day we take the field ... Just continuing to be me. Don't change anything. Been in this league going on 13 years. This league is the same, and I'm going to stay the same. All I can do is continue being the authentic Pat P."
