Three-time All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson retired from the NFL as an Arizona Cardinal on Monday.
Peterson, 34, announced his retirement at the Cardinals’ practice facility in Tempe. The team honored him with a highlight video, and several former teammates, including receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer, gave tributes.
“I came back home. This is where it all started,” Peterson said Monday. “I felt that it was only right for me to end my journey where it started.”
Picked by Arizona in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU, Peterson spent 10 of his 13 NFL seasons with the Cardinals, making eight straight Pro Bowls during that time.
In 154 games (all starts) with the Cardinals, Peterson had 28 interceptions for 251 yards and one touchdown to go with 91 passes defended, two forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 499 tackles and four sacks.
However, his time with the Cardinals didn’t end on the sweetest note.
In 2018, Peterson asked for a trade and then walked back the request, saying he was just frustrated. He honored the remainder of his contract but signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 after not receiving the contract offer he wanted from the Cardinals.
“It wasn’t the greatest departure, but at the end of the day, this is where my legacy is, this is where my legacy started,” Peterson said Monday.
Peterson played two seasons (2021-22) for the Minnesota Vikings, notching six interceptions for 157 yards, 20 passes defended and 111 tackles in 30 starts.
He signed a two-year deal with the Steelers in March 2023, playing in 17 games (16 starts) in Pittsburgh that season. He had two interceptions, 11 passes defended and 42 tackles, and he played 97 percent of the defensive snaps. He was released a year later and did not play in 2024.
Peterson also was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team.
In 201 career games (200 starts), Peterson had 36 interceptions for 408 yards and two touchdowns to go with 122 passes defended, two forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 652 tackles and four sacks.
Peterson’s retirement is reportedly retroactive to 2024, making him eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029.
–Field Level Media
