Patrick Peterson is 33 years old and already has a dozen years of NFL experience under his belt. His resume for the Hall of Fame is strong, even if not quite unquestioned. And he is coming off of one of his best statistical seasons, at age 32, during 2022 with the Minnesota Vikings.
That is why, now in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s not pressing himself mentally as much as he might otherwise. While his long-term reputation has long been secured, he comes into year 13 feeling as though he has already shown he can still play.
“I’m not as eager as I was last year because I believe they got the point”, he recently told Gilberto Manzano for Sports Illustrated about the upcoming season and the pressure to prove that he can still play at a high level at his age. “I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing”.
One reason he might not be feeling as much pressure is because he could be in a better position in Pittsburgh to play to his strengths. The team is working on transitioning him into more of a slot role, which he has spoken about as being favorable and potentially even career-extending.
Plus, he will have the benefit of what should be one of the league’s best pass rushes, not just with former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt on one edge and the 2022 breakout star Alex Highsmith on the other, but also with perennial Pro Bowler Cameron Heyward and newer building block Larry Ogunjobi in the trenches.
At least on paper, Peterson should be seeing his defense generate some of the most consistent pressure he has ever seen throughout his lengthy NFL career, which is always to the advantage of the defensive backs.
Indeed, he did set a goal for himself, hoping to nab seven passes this year. Not only would that be more than anybody in the league caught last season (including among others his teammate, Minkah Fitzpatrick), it would also tie his career high set back in 2012.
Peterson has talked about being around the Steelers’ young cornerbacks like rookies Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. and how being the mentor to pass along his years of wisdom is helping to keep him young. He has even said that playing under Mike Tomlin as his head coach may encourage him to keep his career going longer than he might have expected not too long ago.
His only real goal at this point is to win a Super Bowl, one of the few prizes that has alluded him. And he feels he can pursue that goal in Pittsburgh, with this defense, where he feels he fits, and where he knows he has nothing to prove but to just keep doing what he’s been doing all these years.
