Though CB Patrick Peterson seems in the twilight of his career, if his body feels good and he can still produce, there’s no urge to rush into retirement. And under Mike Tomlin, Peterson might try to hang in the league as long as possible.
Speaking with Jim Rome on The Jim Show Thursday, Peterson said playing for coach he loves like Tomlin, might push retirement into the distant future.
“To finally come into Coach Tomlin and have him [use] the other attributes of my game, it’s going to make me want to play longer,” Peterson told Rome.
Peterson signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh early in free agency to help replace the loss of CB Cam Sutton. While he’ll play on the outside, he, like Sutton, could move around the Steelers’ defense. It’s something Peterson petitioned previous coaches to do but for most of his career, he’s played a more static position in the league.
That seems likely to change in Pittsburgh. He’s already worked in the slot, with the team teasing about finding other ways to move him around. It’ll highlight his football IQ and help minimize his loss of speed at 33 years old.
“As of right now, I’ve been moved all over the place. It’s been so fun for me,” Peterson said. “It’s something I never really did. One thing about me is I am a ballplayer. You can plug me in anywhere and I’ll make it work.”
Shifting Peterson around will create ways to get other players on the field. It’s an easy solution to get reps for Joey Porter Jr., who will play mostly on the outside, and putting the team’s top three cornerbacks on the field. Peterson probably won’t play all his snaps inside but DBs Coach Grady Brown discussed the value of showing different post-snap pictures to NFL quarterbacks, which help the coverage and the pass rush, and Peterson might be a useful chess piece this season. And to hear Peterson tell it, one that’ll be on the roster far beyond 2023.
Catch the whole conversation below.
