Cornerback Patrick Peterson, after a decade with the Arizona Cardinals, is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a one-year contract with them after he hit free agency.
He finally said his goodbye to the team and the fans in an article for The Players’ Tribune.
In it, he goes over a number of things from his time in Arizona.
What are some things we learn from it?
Peterson saw departure coming
Michael Chow-Arizona Republic
Peterson was not shy over the last year saying he wanted to stay with the Cardinals. However, once the season began, he knew the writing was on the wall.
I’ve been with this team for 10 years, so I’ve seen different versions of my situation play out with other high profile players many times. If you’re at the end of your contract and haven’t gotten another one before the season’s over, nine times out of 10 you’re going to walk. Nothing against anyone — that’s just the way this business works. So I’d already had it in the back of my mind that I was going to be pulling on a different jersey come September. I had already been mentally preparing.
And while he is at peace with how things turned out, he does admit there were some hurt feelings.
I was a little sad to be leaving at first. I won’t lie, after 10 years, I wish everything had been a little more upfront in the end. It’s no secret that I was disappointed with the process and how everything went down.
The Cardinals didn’t owe him anything necessarily but if they had no intentions of re-signing him, perhaps there could have been a more public sendoff.
He (sort of) addressed his PED suspension
If there is one thing that has been unexplained in his career, it was his six-game suspension for a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. He insinuates that it was unintentional and a surprise.
There were some nights when I cried myself to sleep. I just wondered, Why me? It was like, I’d been taking this same thing for the last two seasons, so how all of a sudden is this happening? It put a big cloud over my head. But as a man, I just had to take my licks, put Band-Aids on my wounds and do my best to move forward. And that’s what I did. I hope it’s just another reminder to other players, especially young ones, that you have to be really careful with the things that you take, especially if you’re not a hundred percent of what’s all in it.
This is a common theme among athletes who get busted for PEDs. However, one question remains — why was the suspension six games?
Under the policy, a player gets suspended four games for the violation. He gets six if a masking agent is detected. Essentially, you get longer for getting caught and getting caught trying to cover it up.
Carson Palmer was his favorite teammate
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Peterson mentioned many of his teammates from the past decade. But one stands out above the rest — Carson Palmer, who quarterbacked the team from 2013-2017 before retiring from the NFL.
Carson Palmer, by far my favorite teammate I’ve ever had, man. That dude was just so chill, down to earth, nothing ever fazed him. Everything that he stood for was just remarkable, and he definitely was the main guy, I believe, that helped us get Arizona’s name on the map.
Palmer was special for this team.
Peterson is bullish about Kyler Murray
(AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
Peterson believes in Murray. He thinks the Cardinals have a special player.
K1, the Mighty Mouse, man. That dude is going to be unbelievable. It’s just been a pleasure to watch him grow. And to really see him take his career to the next level. He gets it. Arizona definitely got a good one.
When stars in the league fawn over other players, you know the guy will be a stud. Murray is on his way.
Peterson was terrified of his diabetes diagnosis
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
He recalled the 2014 season when he learned he had type-2 diabetes. It was the scariest part of his career. He was consistently weighing at nearly 230 pounds, which is very heavy for a cornerback. He didn’t feel sick but would vomit after every practice period. He felt sluggish. That is when he got tested and learned he was diabetic.
It should have been comforting finally knowing what was happening to me. But to tell you the truth, I was terrified.
I was 24 years old at the time. I’m like, What the hell?
I cried like a baby in the doctor’s office. I was like, “Diabetes?? I’m a football player, I’m young, I’m in shape, I’m fit.” None of it made sense.
But the docs helped me figure out my diet and everything, and then I realized it wasn’t like a fatal diagnosis or the end of my career. I got my diet under control, and everything began to click for me. Once I figured out what was wrong with my body, I could focus on football again.
He recovered and put together fine seasons after that.
He considers himself a Cardinal
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It appears this will not be like with former Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. He really connected with the Baltimore Ravens and considers himself a Raven rather than a Cardinal. Peterson wants to play five more years but he still has a ton of love for this franchise. “I feel like I’m a Cardinal,” he wrote. He will get to return to State Farm Stadium this season as a member of the Vikings. He will let himself remember the last decade.
I’ll get to watch the sun dip behind the mountains again, and for a split second, I think I’ll allow myself to be that guy.
I’ll be Patrick Peterson — the Arizona Cardinal.
Latest show:
Previous shows:
and
1
1