Saturday’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars not only serves as a prove-it game for two fringe AFC contenders but also as a reunion game for a few former teammates.
From 2018-2020, current Pittsburgh Steelers CB Patrick Peterson, and current Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk were teammates on the Arizona Cardinals. While the Cardinals never made the playoffs during those three years, Kirk was a reliable number two receiver, while Peterson led the team in interceptions over that span.
The two got a lot of reps on opposite sides of the ball at training camps and practices over the years. Now, they face off for the first time where the stakes are higher than running a few extra wind sprints at the end of practice.
Kirk was quite complimentary of Peterson and shared this in an interview provided on YouTube by 1010XL, a Jacksonville Radio station.
“I was with him for three years in Arizona, and obviously, he was there a lot longer,” Kirk recalled. “When I was a kid, I watched the Cardinals and the plays that he made. He made me better. I went against him a bunch in practice and it was always a battle and taught me a lot. So it’ll be fun to play against him again.”
Kirk stayed with the Cardinals for one more season after Peterson left for the Minnesota Vikings, and was the leading receiver on a team that earned the Cardinals their first playoff birth in six seasons. In his one prior matchup with the Steelers in 2019, he posted eight receptions and 85 yards, but the Steelers still prevailed. Last summer, he signed with the Jaguars and had a breakout 2022 campaign. He posted over 1100 yards and eight touchdowns and helped the Jaguars earn their first playoff birth since 2017. This year, despite the return of fellow standout WR Calvin Ridley from suspension, his per-game numbers have stayed pretty consistent.
Peterson has had a bit of a rocky start to his Steelers tenure and looks to get back on track this week against a Jaguars offense with no shortage of weapons. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets any looks against Kirk and how the two fare against each other in their first matchup in years. Hopefully, Peterson can use his insider knowledge of Kirk’s game to give himself some sort of edge, whether it be mental or physical.
Watch the full interview with Kirk below:
