Getty Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The Kansas City Chiefs could stand to add to their defense this offseason to help create a more balanced roster for the 2023 season. That’s why Heavy Sports NFL insider Matt Lombardo believes the defending Super Bowl champions could make a run at a veteran defender with a decorated resume during free agency.
“The Chiefs could make a play for former All Pro Patrick Peterson,” Heavy Sports’ NFL insider Matt Lombardo said during The Matt Lombardo Show when discussing the top free agent targets for Kansas City. “Peterson’s 82.5 coverage grade from PFF was one of the best in the entire NFL, and he would emerge as a veteran leader on a rather youthful Kansas City secondary.”
Peterson Playing at a High Level in His 30s
Patrick Peterson entered the NFL as a fifth overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 out of LSU. With the high draft status came high expectations, which Peterson has met during his 12-year NFL career.
After adding eight Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro titles to his resume in eight seasons with the Cardinals, Peterson took to free agency for the first time in his career in 2021. It was then that he signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings and then re-upped for another season in Minnesota in 2022.
During his career, Peterson has accumulated 553 tackles, 64 pass breakups, 34 interceptions, and has only allowed a 57% completion percentage on targets thrown at him, according to PFF.
During the 2022-2023 season at age 32, Peterson played in all 17 regular season games for the Vikings and registered 60 tackles, 15 passes defended, 9 pass breakups, and a 58.9% completion percentage against him. During Minnesota’s lone playoff game against the New York Giants, Peterson surrendered 5 completions on 7 targets for 50 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Patrick Peterson got beat twice on double moves by Isaiah Hodgins early in the Giants game. He was only punished for it once. Later, they tried it against Duke Shelley and he was on top of it.
Peterson was susceptible to double-moves this year and can’t get beat deep on Sunday.
Should Chiefs Be Interested in Peterson?
Based on the team’s current cap situation and roster needs, the Chiefs should deter from attempting to acquire Patrick Peterson’s services.
According to Spotrac, the Chiefs have $526,422 in available cap space entering free agency. They can do things such as re-adjusting Patrick Mahomes’s contract and/or Frank Clark’s, extending Chris Jones, or cutting ties with some players to free up a good chunk of cap space. However, regardless of what they do the defending Super Bowl champions won’t have an abundance of cap space to utilize this offseason and will have to be rather frugal with their money.
As it stands, the Chiefs need to add — whether it be by re-signing players or adding new ones — to their offensive and defensive lines as well as wide receiver.
Kansas City currently has three rookies (Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams) as well as fourth-year cornerback L’Jarius Sneed on rookie deals in its cornerback room, totaling up to about just $8 million in cap space for the 2023 season, per Over The Cap.
Because the Chiefs excel at drafting talent at the cornerback position, it would be wise for them to spend their cap space elsewhere and continue to rely upon its youth in the secondary. They proved during their recent Super Bowl run that they can succeed with that strategy and shouldn’t deter from it.
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Insider: Chiefs ‘Could Make a Play’ for 3-Time All-Pro Defender