Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson has become a target of Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase, selected fifth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, is the highest-drafted wide receiver coming out of college since 2015. A teammate of Justin Jefferson at LSU, Chase won the Fred Biletnikoff trophy, awarded to college football’s best wide receiver.
He’s struggled with drops during the preseason but wants the eight-time Pro Bowl corner to be the first victim on his NFL highlight reel.
“I could put Patrick Peterson on my highlight tape,” Chase said with a smile in a press conference on Monday. “He might be mad I’m saying it, but hey, you know what I’m saying, it’s part of the game. I’d love to make a play on him.”
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Peterson Responds
Peterson caught air of Chase’s comments and addressed the matter on the All Things Covered podcast on Wednesday.
Also a former LSU Tiger, Peterson gave Chase his respect and accepted the challenge.
“I respect everything Ja’Marr Chase has done on the college level. I’m looking forward to lining up against him as well. I think it should be a fun matchup,” Peterson said. “The guy has a lot of physical attributes that a lot of greats have in this league. Sunday will be here before you know it.”
Peterson likely won’t be shadowing the Bengals’ No. 1 wide receiver despite the challenge in Sunday’s season opener.
“I’m just lining up playing ball. It’s hard to prepare for Week 1,” Peterson said. ” (In the) preseason, teams aren’t really showing much — not really playing their guys. Only thing you can do is try to go back to last year’s tape and figure out where they’re going to plug guys in… We’re just going to line up, play ball, be where we need to be, make plays and hopefully, we come out of Cincinnati with a dub.”
Peterson, at the age of 31, is well past his physical prime. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has gotten the best out of over-the-hill corners in the past and that likely won’t come from lining Peterson up strictly in man coverage.
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Eric Kendricks Plays Prank on Peterson, Jefferson & Danielle Hunter
The Vikings have three former LSU players on the roster in Peterson, Jefferson and Danielle Hunter.
After the Tigers dropped their season opener to UCLA, Eric Kendricks, a former Bruins linebacker, tried handing a UCLA hat to each of the former LSU players in the locker room.
Here’s how it went.
Sunday’s season opener against the Bengals will be a reunion for Jefferson, Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow, who went undefeated and won a national championship in 2020.
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Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Calls Out Vikings’ Patrick Peterson Ahead of Season Opener