The Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson after one season with the team in a cap-clearing move, but according to Peterson, the door may be open for a return to the team. On his All Things Covered podcast, Peterson said he had a discussion with Mike Tomlin following his release and he’s not ruling out a return to the Steelers.
“My time there was great, it was a shocking phone call, just coming off spring break, but a couple days after that I had an opportunity to talk to Coach Tomlin. We had some great dialogue and had an opportunity to really talk,” Peterson said. “Me and Coach Tomlin had an opportunity to get on the phone and talk about some things. And the door may still be open. Like I told him, I just appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to do something that I had never done in my career before, which is play all over the field.”
Peterson wants to spend another season with the Steelers.
“It was an honor to have that year with them,” he said. “Hopefully it can be for one more.”
Given where Pittsburgh’s cornerback room currently is, with Darius Rush the second-most experienced player in terms of 2023 snaps in the room, it would make sense if the Steelers looked to bring Peterson back at a lower salary for 2024. As he mentioned, he showed off his versatility in 2023 by moving around the field, playing outside, in the slot and even some safety late in the season with the team dealing with injuries. He got better as the year went on, and Pittsburgh’s cornerback room right now is Joey Porter Jr. and a bunch of question marks. Peterson would at least provide some stability and someone who’s already familiar with the defense if he does indeed return in 2024.
The Steelers will likely explore a multitude of options in the cornerback market, and I don’t think Peterson is going to be in a rush to sign with anyone else. He seemed to really enjoy his time in Pittsburgh and playing for the Steelers under Tomlin. The eight-time Pro Bowler could wait the market out and end up returning to Pittsburgh if the Steelers decide they want him back. A lot of that might depend on what the market looks like for other free agent cornerbacks the Steelers may be interested in, but Peterson made it clear that he is open to returning to Pittsburgh if not hopeful of it.
“I’m not giving up just yet, man,” he said. “So we’ll see what happens here in the next couple months.”
The fact that Peterson said the next couple months makes me think he’s going to be content waiting things out and finding the best possible landing spot, but it sounds as if he wants to come back. If the Steelers decide that bringing him back is the best decision, even if it’s just for depth, it sounds as if Peterson could wind up back with them for 2024.
It would make a lot of sense for both parties, as Peterson won’t have much of a market and isn’t getting any younger (he turns 34 in July). His physical skills are diminishing, but the Steelers allowed him to move around and use his IQ. As I mentioned, the Steelers don’t have many suitable options at cornerback currently, and if the team does draft another rookie early, Peterson could be an ideal mentor. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he does wind up back in the Black and Gold.
