Beloved Former Viking Calls It Quits
The NFL calendar has hit a transactional standstill period between free agency and the draft. The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway in 10 days from Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Beloved Former Viking Calls It Quits
In the meantime, Hall-of-Fame-bound former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson has decided to retire. That’s a wrap for Peterson.
Patrick Peterson to Retire
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted early Friday evening, “Eight-time Pro-Bowl CB Patrick Peterson will be in Arizona on Monday to retire as a Cardinal, per source. Peterson played 13 years in the NFL, including his first 10 seasons in Arizona, where he was a three-time All-Pro selection.”
PHNX Sports‘ Johnny Venerable opined, “Patrick Peterson is one of the greatest players in the history of the Cardinals football franchise (Chicago/St. Louis/Arizona). He should be forever enshrined amongst the legends of this team.”
The fifth overall pick from the 2011 NFL Draft — the same event that netted tight end Kyle Rudolph for the Vikings — is set to walk away.
Impact on the Vikings
Minnesota entered free agency in 2021 with a cash-strapped budget — that was the lay of the land during the Kirk Cousins era — and onlookers didn’t expect much via adding new players. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, former general manager Rick Spielman signed Peterson after his 10 seasons in Arizona.
Fans rejoiced at the move, a veteran presence in a secondary reeling from the somewhat recent departures of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Anthony Harris. Peterson played 30 games for the Vikings in two seasons, starting all 30, and tabulating a 78.7 passer-rating-against in 2021 and 79.6 in 2022. He added stability and a security blanket to the secondary.
He also made it known in 2021 that he became a Viking because he wanted to be a part of Mike Zimmer’s defense, and eyebrow-raising sentiment at the time as Zimmer had begun to grow stale in the Twin Cities. In fact, Zimmer would be terminated about nine months after Peterson’s addition to the roster.
Peterson re-upped with Minnesota in 2022, helping to bring in the Kevin O’Connell era with some experience on defense, and the Vikings later won 13 games during O’Connell’s first season.
Hall of Fame Resume
Peterson logged eight Pro Bowls from 2011 to 2023, three 1st-Team All-Pros, and a spot on the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team. He was accountable for 36 total interceptions, 652 tackles, 12 forced fumbles, and 6 touchdowns.
Entering the pros, Peterson showcased 4.34 speed leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft, one of the notable examples where speed directly transferred to star power as the Cardinals featured Peterson prominently on special teams, and he didn’t disappoint.
NFL.com’s Take
NFL.com‘s Michael Baca wrote about Peterson in the wake of his retirement decision, “Calling it a career in the desert is perfectly fitting for Peterson. It was in Arizona where Peterson burst onto the NFL scene, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors as a play-making punt returner who notched four touchdown scores to set the rookie record (and tie the NFL record) for the most punt return TDs in a single season all-time. But it was his talent as a lockdown corner that separated Peterson from the rest.”
“Quarterbacks quickly grew wary of throwing Peterson’s way, frustrating receivers in the process and creating a sizeable black hole for opposing offenses to work around.”
Peterson will turn 35 this summer.
“Peterson followed up his rookie campaign with seven straight Pro Bowl nods as the CB covering opposing team’s No. 1 wideout, becoming one of five defensive players in the Super Bowl era to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 8 NFL seasons (Aaron Donald, Derrick Thomas, Lawrence Taylor and Joe Greene), according to NFL Research,” Baca added.
“While playoff success ultimately eluded him in his fantastic career, Peterson will certainly be remembered as one of the top CBs of his time, finishing with 652 tackles, 36 interceptions (two pick-sixes), 122 pass break-ups and 12 fumble recoveries.”
Post-Vikings Career
In 2023, Peterson’s final hurrah in the NFL, he latched onto the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster, playing all 17 games in his swan song season.
He actually performed some duties at safety, further showcasing his versatility, an especially impressive trait at the back end of his career.
Last season, Peterson hinted that he would return to the Vikings if they expressed interest, complimenting the aforementioned O’Connell to the utmost, but Minnesota rolled with veterans Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin, and Fabian Moreau instead.
Peterson was willing to play elsewhere as well. He said on the All Things Covered podcast last summer: “If the phone call happens to come through, I’ll definitely be ready to make a team, if that’s the case. I know previously I talked about after a certain date I would probably not give it any thought. But honestly, I’m just going through the motions, just not really giving it any real hard thought by a chance.”
“But like I said, I’m doing what I need to do to stay in shape to be ready if someone does so happen to call my phone.”
No contract ever materialized.
“If anything don’t happen after this year or me playing another season, I will say I’m one of the lucky ones to leave the game unscathed, not with any major injuries, able to have all of my limbs, no hip problems and things like that. Knock on wood, if the good Lord blesses me to play another year. But I was just thinking of that, having the ability — if it is the last ride — to walk away from the game healthy.”
Peterson will be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in 2028.
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