Pittsburgh Steelers CB Patrick Peterson has lofty goals for himself heading into 2023. Earlier this offseason, he set a goal for a career-high, and on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long, he said he’s reaching even higher.
“I wanna get double-digit interceptions. That’s always been my goal since I’ve been playing. I came close once, had seven my second year and last year with five. So there are my two season-highs, so being a double-digit interception guy in the season, that’d be pretty big,” Peterson said.
While lofty, it’s not unattainable. In recent years, we’ve seen Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs pick off 11 passes in 2021 and Miami Dolphins CB Xavien Howard nab 10 in 2020. But before that, you’d have to go all the way back to 2007 to find someone with double-digit interceptions. San Diego Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie accomplished the feat with 10 that season.
The last time a Steeler had double-digit interceptions in a season was 1975, when Mel Blount picked off 11 passes. So, it would certainly be an achievement for Peterson, especially in his age-33 season, to do something no one has done in Pittsburgh in 48 years.
Honestly, the problem for Peterson is going to be how many ball-hawks Pittsburgh has in the secondary. Between Minkah Fitzpatrick, Levi Wallace and Damontae Kazee, along with Peterson, there’s only going to be so many interceptions to go around. They can be a fluky thing, but for Peterson to be targeted enough in single coverage to be able to pull down 10-plus seems like it might be a stretch.
But I love the enthusiasm and the fact that Peterson isn’t settling for something easier as a goal. He’s been around the league long enough and he knows what he’s capable of, so he wouldn’t throw out double-digit interceptions as a potential goal if it wasn’t something he truly believed he could reach.
Given that Peterson could be used in a variety of roles this season on Pittsburgh’s defense, I do like the idea of him being able to pull in multiple interceptions. While the number may be closer to the five he had last year, Peterson’s IQ and being able to read the quarterback whether it’s at outside corner, nickel corner or safety should make him an asset when coupled with his ball skills.
I’d bank on over three interceptions out of Peterson this year, and while 10-plus would obviously be awesome, I just can’t realistically see it happening.
