Sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s time to move on. For many players, it’s their teams that let them know when their time is up, rather than having the opportunity to go out on their own terms. Even for those with a seeming lifetime contract, however, you eventually find yourself evaluating your future on an annual basis. Cameron Heyward seems to be there now.
Perhaps not quite just yet for Patrick Peterson as the cornerback wraps up his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 33 years old, he told Rich Eisen that he has every intention of returning for his 14th NFL season.
That’s no great revelation given that he signed a two-year contract in March and had always spoken of his intention to play beyond 2023. Nevertheless, it’s confirmation of an older every-down starter intending to return, even before the current season is over. It all came up amid a conversation about his younger teammates prodding him about the longevity of his career.
“They’re completely right about that. Then you know what I hit them back with? It’s that’s why you don’t take these opportunities lightly because you don’t know how open that window is”, he said on the Rich Eisen Show. “That’s why you’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity that is given to you because you may not be here tomorrow or next year”.
“If you’re in position to do something special, don’t waste it. That’s always been my mindset and my motto”, he added. “Yeah, I always had dreams and aspirations to play 15 years, but that wasn’t guaranteed to me. I’m just very blessed and lucky to still be playing this game that I love 13 years and counting, because I still plan on coming back next year”.
When he first signed with the Steelers, he was actually talking about playing 14 years but also expressed an openness about the potential beyond that. This was partially due to the potential for him to expand his versatility by playing in the slot and at safety, which he has done.
“I signed a two-year deal, and I’m a guy that always likes to fulfill my obligation”, he said back in June. “At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to the team and how I perform this year if they want me to come back or not, but my goal is to obviously finish out these two seasons and see what happens after that”.
Signed to a two-year, $14 million contract, Peterson has a $9,775,000 cap hit for the 2024 season, of which $2,925,000 is a part of his $5,850,000 signing bonus. He is scheduled to earn $3,850,000 in base salary with a $3 million roster bonus due on March 17.
In other words, if the Steelers decide that they would rather move on from Peterson as opposed to paying him nearly $7 million, they would need to do so before March 17 to avoid paying his $3 million roster bonus. Alternatively, they would have to work out an arrangement to delay the payment date or otherwise rework his contract and get him to agree to take some kind of pay cut.
Peterson has logged 1,039 defensive snaps this season, the bulk of which have come at outside cornerback, but with a healthy dose of snaps at safety, in the slot, and near the line of scrimmage. He has 41 tackles with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed. While he struggled early on, his play has improved significantly, especially after the defense began moving him around more.
