When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed CB Patrick Peterson, he talked about potentially moving around and playing different positions on defense, including safety. Ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week One matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, he touched upon his excitement to move around and play a position other than cornerback.
“I’m very ready to play something other than corner. Obviously, this is my first opportunity to be able to do that job, and just going along in practice this week, it’s kind of like, it’s about to happen, it’s finally about to happen. I’m so excited to finally be in different positions to be involved in the game plan,” Peterson said via Steelers.com.
With the Steelers having some depth at cornerback, especially after the recent addition of Desmond King II, it would make sense for the Steelers to look to rotate Peterson. CBs Joey Porter Jr. and King will get their reps, but Peterson is a savvy, high-IQ football player who’s been among the best in the game for years. It’s smart to keep him on the field and throw different looks at the San Francisco offense by moving Peterson around and giving opportunities to other guys in Porter and King, who are more than capable of performing.
Versatility is something that Pittsburgh has been high on when building its roster this offseason, and Peterson’s ability to move around makes him a nice fit for this defense. He can play slot corner, something he said helps the game slow down for him, safety or his main position as an outside cornerback. The Steelers added a lot of guys with versatility in the secondary like King and Keanu Neal, in addition to Elijah Riley making the 53-man roster, so there are a lot of different looks the Steelers can work with and try out.
Peterson will likely start at outside corner on Sunday, but as the game progresses defensive coordinator Teryl Austin can adapt and move Peterson around as he sees fit to best help the team. Even if it doesn’t happen a ton on Sunday, it’s a nice ace for the Steelers to have up their sleeve to potentially play individual matchups. Situational football is a part of the game that Mike Tomlin and the front office have talked a lot about this offseason. Adding so many versatile guys, including Peterson, will allow the Steelers to better prepare for and win certain matchups.
It’ll be interesting to see how things look in regard to where Peterson plays throughout the season, but it certainly doesn’t sound like he’ll just be sticking at one spot. This Steelers defense has a chance to be special, and Peterson is going to be a key piece no matter where he’s lined up.
