Don’t Expect Patrick Peterson to Leave the Vikings Anytime Soon
Josh Frey
|
The Minnesota Vikings have had some struggles on the defensive side of the ball at times, but they’ve consistently made plays when needed. One of the main reasons for that has been the play of Patrick Peterson as the 32-year-old CB has turned the clock back and is back to playing at the All-Pro level we saw him at in the mid-2010s.
This is a far cry from where the CB found himself just a year ago. When the Minnesota Vikings brought Peterson into their organization ahead of the 2021 season, many expected him to be the veteran stalwart to anchor a young, albeit talented, secondary. That didn’t work out according to plan as the Vikings ranked fifth-worst in passing defense.
However, the CB decided to return to the Vikings in 2022 despite the struggles, and he’s reaped the benefits. Vikings fans will be delighted to hear that Peterson doesn’t plan on leaving the Vikings anytime soon, either.
Peterson was asked by Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press about his future NFL plans. When asked about remaining in Minnesota and retiring a Viking, the veteran CB responded, “No doubt about it. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’m not trying to go anywhere but Minnesota. I love everything around here. I would love to stay put.”
Not only does he want to retire a Viking, but Peterson still has a few NFL goals to cross off before he calls it quits. “At least one more Pro Bowl, one more All-Pro. That would be a nice, satisfying way for me to end off my career, for sure.”
Peterson is well on his way to making those goals a reality in 2022. He currently has the sixth best PFF grade on the Vikings, with a score of 76.9. This is 13.9 points above his 2021 grade of 63.0.
Not only is Peterson’s play on the field valuable to the Vikings, but he offers terrific mentorship to the young CBs on the team. Tomasson reported earlier in the year that Peterson has been doing film studies with Cam Dantzler this year, and it has helped improve the young CB’s play.
Other than Dantzler, the Vikings also have a pair of other rookie corners that likely lean on Peterson for advice in Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans. When Dantzler left Sunday’s game against the Commanders with an injury, Evans stepped in and played valiantly in his stead.
Overall, Peterson’s presence on this team can be felt all over the Vikings secondary. Fans should be ecstatic that he wants to remain a Viking throughout the rest of his career.
The Vikings Game This Week
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.