The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t lose many notable players in free agency this year, but one who played a big role on the 2023 team and is currently off the roster is CB Patrick Peterson. With the Steelers waiting until their last pick of the draft in the sixth round to address the secondary, many have wondered about the possibility of a reunion with Peterson. Today, he went on the record and stated his desire to return.
“Hopefully, I can get something done with the Steelers, but that’s the team I definitely wanna play for,” Peterson said on The Jim Rome Show. “Cause I have just so much respect for Coach Tomlin.”
.@P2 says he wants to re-sign in Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin is a major reason why. pic.twitter.com/e3acy3Phco
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) May 21, 2024
Peterson had a year left on his contract, but the Steelers pulled the plug and released him prior to the start of free agency. They then made a move at cornerback in a trade with the Carolina Panthers that shipped away WR Diontae Johnson in exchange for CB Donte Jackson. Jackson and Joey Porter Jr. should hold down the starting outside corner jobs, but the team is in need of additional depth and a starting slot corner.
There are a few options, but none of them are proven. Cory Trice Jr. looked promising last offseason prior to getting injured at the start of training camp. Beanie Bishop Jr. also shows some promise but was an undrafted free agent and might experience a learning curve at the NFL level.
Peterson relished the opportunity to play mentor to Porter last season and would be great in a similar role this year for the many young corners the team is trying to develop. He could also be a valuable chess piece to move around the secondary. He would probably be the primary slot option if he re-signs. He ended up playing safety last year for the Steelers when the position ran thin due to injury, so his positional flexibility is a huge positive.
He said he was open to any role, just not the bench. With a need at slot corner, the Steelers should be able to accommodate that request if they choose to bring him back. The only question is the money. They cut him because his play did not fully justify the contract he received. But it sounds like Peterson is motivated enough to return to Pittsburgh, where they could find common ground.
Other than Tomlin, it sounds like Peterson is sold on the revamped quarterback room, which includes Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
“Coach is a winner, and if you go back and look at the seasons that he had, look who the quarterbacks were. He had to play with at least two to three quarterbacks each and every year that Ben wasn’t healthy as a quarterback,” Peterson said. “I even texted him right after they signed Russell. I said, now you finally got you a quarterback that has credibility.”
When you have a franchise quarterback that the team believes in, it raises the morale of the whole group. Peterson doesn’t want to miss out on what he believes could be a special team under Tomlin.
