Earlier this week, Patrick Peterson expressed interest in returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, and on his All Things Covered podcast Friday, Peterson talked about what his potential role could be.
“It don’t necessarily have to be a starting situation, cause like I said, I understand the way the league is going,” he told his co-host and cousin Bryant McFadden. “But as far as a backup role, it would have to be a nickel position, because I feel like I can excel at a nickel position. I feel like I can guard whoever’s No. 2, No. 3 receiver in the slot.”
Peterson said that last season he got more comfortable with some of the responsibilities a slot corner needs to take with their assignments, things he hadn’t previously done.
“I feel like over the course of the year, I started to get more and more comfortable with the assignments,” he said. “Taking the deep quarter flat drops or the curl flat drops, quarterback key drops. I started to get a feel for all of those things, because then you gotta think about, I’ve never done those things in my career.”
Peterson started as an outside corner for the Steelers last season, but he struggled as his speed diminished, and he ended up moving around the defense in part due to injuries in the secondary. He played 208 slot corner snaps for the last season, the most he’s ever played there. Currently, the Steelers don’t have anybody that they could comfortably play in the slot, with undrafted free agent cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. the team’s top in-house option right now.
Peterson could conceivably come in and play the slot for Pittsburgh, but the team might evaluate its in-house options first, like Bishop or potentially Anthony Averett. On the free agent market, Chandon Sullivan played the slot for Pittsburgh last season, and he remains an option to return if the team wants to further solidify the position.
It’s unlikely any team views Peterson as a legitimate starter at this point in his career, and he doesn’t sound super open to taking a true backup role. That could hinder his chances of returning to the Steelers or any other team unless he becomes more open to taking on a reduced role. As the offseason drags on, he could re-evaluate his stance.
However, given his experience playing the slot in some capacity last season and his comfort level at the position increasing, it might not be too far-fetched for the Steelers to give him a look during training camp if they want to add competition or a veteran to the room.
