The PFF Recommendation for Patrick Peterson’s Next Team
You can take this implicative tweet from Patrick Peterson a couple of weeks ago and apparently throw it out the window.
Peterson posted that just before the Super Bowl, seeming to hint at a Vikings return in 2023. But not everyone’s convinced.
The PFF Recommendation for Patrick Peterson’s Next Team
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger detailed possible destinations for the league’s Top 50 free agents this week, and for Peterson, the next stop could be the Cincinnati Bengals.
Minnesota signed Peterson via free agency in 2021, a transaction that fell out of the sky. No one in the Vikings community believed Peterson was on then-GM Rick Spielman’s radar, but the future Hall of Famer reportedly wanted to play for Mike Zimmer.
And the experiment has worked. Peterson produced a remarkable 2022 regular season, ranking as the league’s 12th-best cornerback, according to PFF. The 32-year-old turned back the clock to 2018 or so, grading an outstanding 77.8. He was phenomenal, impacting a defense that needed all the silver linings it could find.
While Peterson has repeatedly insisted he would like to return to Minnesota for a third season, PFF has Cincinnati plans for the 32-year-old. Spielberger opined, “Peterson turned back the clock in 2022 and recorded one of the best years of his career, producing an 82.5 coverage grade, 66.8 passer rating when targeted and nine pass breakups. With Brian Flores’s heavy man coverage scheme coming to town, it’s likely that the 33-year-old Peterson won’t fit in their plans.”
“Enter the Bengals, whose zone-heavy scheme would be similar to what he was running with the Vikings for most of his tenure there. He could complement Cam Taylor-Britt and form a nice trio with Mike Hilton rounding out the group,” he concluded.
The Bengals ranked 11th in the NFL per defensive DVOA in 2022 and did not struggle against the pass. In that vein, Peterson would join a competitive program with eyes set on the Super Bowl, as Cincinnati fell one game short of the goal last year.
A month ago, Peterson said on the his All Things Covered about staying in Minnesota, “I would love to be there in that purple and gold again and give it a run again just because I love the community there. I love the organization. I love the new regime that [was] brought into that building, the trainers, the strength and conditioning staff. It’s just amazing. I truly believe it felt like home for me. I felt like it was a place that I belonged. But we all know it’s a business.”
The next day, Peterson reaffirmed his plans to stay with the Vikings, telling CBS Sports, “I love it there,” in reference to Minneapolis and the Vikings organization.
But if he changes his mind, the Bengals are ostensibly a swell landing spot.
Peterson has never played in the AFC.
Former Vikings QB Joins USFL
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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