Getty CB Patrick Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson took one of his former teammates to task on Wednesday, starting up an online back-and-forth between himself and the rival quarterback.
The player in question is Arizona Cardinals signal caller Kyler Murray, who Peterson played with for two seasons between 2019-20. The Vikings DB made the comments on the November 30 edition of his podcast All Things Covered with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden.
The context for Peterson’s criticisms of Murray came after the quarterback blamed the offensive scheme of Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury for an interception that Murray threw on a 4th-and-1 play in an eventual one-point loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday.
“Kyler Murray don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray”
-Patrick Peterson on his former #Cardinals teammate
Peterson said that Kingsbury would end up the scapegoat for the Cardinals struggles this season, in part because of Murray’s ongoing issues with him. Peterson then made the remark that set things off.
“Kyler Murray don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray, that’s just a matter of the fact,” Peterson said.
Murray Quickly Called Out Peterson on Twitter Over Criticism
GettyQB Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals walks across the field before a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on August 12, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
It didn’t take Murray long to catch wind of Peterson’s comments and respond in kind, which he did via Twitter on Wednesday night.
“This isn’t true,” Murray tweeted. “You on some weird s*** @p2. You got my number, if you really felt like this as a ‘big bro’ or ‘mentor’ you supposed to call me and tell me, not drag me so your podcast can grow…”
Murray and his relationship with the Cardinals also came under scrutiny during the offseason when the quarterback inked a five-year extension worth more than $230 million, including nearly $190 million guaranteed.
Drama between Murray and the team preceded the deal, the desire for which was presumably the catalyst for said conflict. However, the contract made headlines when it was discovered that there was an “independent study” clause included, which required the quarterback to engage in four hours of video study on his own time weekly, lest he run the risk of violating the terms of the deal.
Word of the clause eventually became public, ultimately prompting the Cardinals to remove it from the contract so as to shut down speculation on why it had been included in the first place.
Peterson’s Word Should Carry More Weight Than Murray’s in NFL
GettyCornerback Patrick Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings runs onto the field before a game.
There has never been a hint of conflict between Peterson and Murray until Wednesday, at least not in public, which begs the question of why the Vikings cornerback decided to make the comments that he did.
However, if the judgement is based purely on longevity and performance, the word of a veteran like Peterson has to carry more weight than Murray’s. Both are exceptional players and established themselves as such almost immediately upon entering the NFL.
Murray has earned trips to two Pro Bowls in his first three years, though it’s unlikely he will be awarded the honor a third-straight appearance as the Cardinals are struggling this season and his play has been just a shade better than pedestrian.
Peterson, on the other hand, was named a Pro-Bowl player in each of his first eight seasons in the league, as well as a three-time All Pro during that stretch. He is the fifth-ranked cornerback out of 121 qualifying players at the position through the first 12 weeks of this season, per Pro Football Focus, while Murray slots just 23rd among 39 qualifying quarterbacks based on PFF’s analytics model.
Quality play is not the barometer for taking one player’s word and/or analytical assessment over that of another, but Peterson is a proven NFL entity who has been respected as a team captain with both of his franchises. Murray is also a captain in Arizona, though his skirmishes with his head coach and front office, as well as his public missteps at the podium, paint him in a less favorable light than that which Peterson has earned across his 12-year NFL career.