New Steelers CB Patrick Peterson Says He Wanted to Re-Sign With Vikings

Peterson spoke glowingly of his two years in Minnesota: "I had the time of my life."

Former Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson agreed to a two-year deal with the Steelers on Monday, ending his time in Minnesota after two seasons.

Discussing the decision on his podcast All Things Covered, Peterson spoke glowingly about his time with the Vikings and said he wanted to re-sign with the team, but the two sides couldn't make it work.

"I had the time of my life (in Minnesota), man," Peterson said. "Just the people that I had the opportunity to meet, the organization, first class. State-of-the-art facilities, state-of-the-art stadium, locker rooms, training, everything was just top of the line."

"No doubt about it, I definitely wanted to go back to Minnesota," he added.

Ultimately, the Vikings and Peterson's representation couldn't reach a middle ground on a new deal. Peterson said several teams called on Monday and one of them was the Vikings, but his agent wasn't able to "cross that line with them."

Peterson's two-year deal with the Steelers is worth $14 million, although his $5.85 million signing bonus is the only guaranteed portion. The future Hall of Famer said he appreciated the way negotiations went with Minnesota, even though they didn't get a deal done.

"It's business," he said. "And it was all clean, good, adult business, how it's supposed to be. There (weren't any) curve balls."

"I got nothing but love for the SKOL nation," Peterson said. "Everybody in that community, they just took me in with open arms, and I felt like it was home, I really did. I thank Minnesota for giving me an opportunity to come there, to showcase my talent, to be able to play with Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, (Justin Jefferson). Every person that I ran across was just a class act there in Minnesota and I couldn't ask for a better place to spend two years."

For the Vikings, it likely came down to a few different factors. As they overhaul the roster this offseason with their eyes on building a sustainable contender, Peterson — who turns 33 this year — didn't fit into their long-term view, particularly at the price it was going to take to sign him. There's also the matter of scheme fit, as new defensive coordinator Brian Flores has always been known for running a significant amount of man coverage. Peterson was a dominant man-to-man corner in his prime, but those days are behind him.

Although his Vikings tenure ends after two seasons, it was clearly a relationship that benefited both sides. Peterson loved his time in Minnesota and made some huge plays during a 13-win 2022 season, and now he's off to his next stop in Pittsburgh.

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