Patrick Peterson is the leader of the Cardinals defense. (Getty)
The never-ending cornerback sage continues in Philadephia. Now the Eagles are rumored to be in the mix for Pro Bowl defensive back Patrick Peterson.
Peterson returned from his six-game suspension Monday after violating the NFL’s rules prohibiting the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The lockdown corner was back at practice with the Arizona Cardinals and even shared a heartfelt message about starting his “next chapter” in the desert. The Cardinals have said repeatedly they do not wish to trade Peterson but that hasn’t stopped the rumors from running rampant.
The latest one came from the always-reliable Adam Schefter after the ESPN reporter mentioned that three NFL teams had called the Cardinals to inquire about Peterson’s services. Naturally, the Eagles were one of three franchises that jumped to the front of the conversation. There have been as many as seven teams checking on him this year.
Over the past year, six or seven teams have inquired about Peterson, but the Cardinals have told all those teams — in no uncertain terms — that they are not interested in trading the eight-time Pro Bowler, according to sources.
Still, it hasn’t stopped teams from checking in to see whether they can pry loose Peterson, who asked for a trade last season. With the Oct. 29 trade deadline approaching, Arizona continues to insist it won’t deal Peterson.
Peterson has 23 career interceptions and remains just the 13th player in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons. Prior to 2019, he had also started all 128 games since being drafted in 2011.
Sources: Cardinals are getting calls about teams inquiring about CB Patrick Peterson but they keep telling teams they’re not trading him.
Patrick Peterson Likely Won’t Be Traded This Season
While it’s nice to sit here and daydream about Patrick Peterson landing in the Eagles’ nest, the reality is that a trade probably won’t happen. For starters, Peterson is nearing 30 years old and the decision to hand over a haul of draft picks for an aging cornerback goes against everything GM Howie Roseman stands for.
The other reason is a simpler one, Arizona doesn’t want to deal their best defensive player. And maybe their best player period. Peterson showed up to the Cardinals’ practice facility in good spirits Monday and head coach Kliff Kingsbury updated the media about their plan for integrating him back into the defense. Peterson himself gave no indication that he was on the trading block, or that he even wanted to be dealt before the Oct. 29 deadline.
.@P2 is back
“The last six weeks, life has been different, as far as not going to the office this time of year,” Peterson told the Cardinals official website. “Watching the games on TV on Sundays was kind of different for me.
“I’ve been training my tail off. … I was tucked way grinding, in a happy place, and now that the time has come for me to return, I can’t wait to put all that hard work and grind and dedication on the field now.”
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