Getty Patrick Peterson called out the Cardinals for playing mind games with him in his final years in Arizona.
The Arizona Cardinals were testing Patrick Peterson before he departed for the Minnesota Vikings.
After Peterson earned eight straight Pro Bowl nods with the team that drafted him, the Cardinals organization was discreetly leaving fan hate mail on his locker room chair in his final years in Arizona.
Peterson eventually opted to sign with the Vikings in free agency in the 2021 offseason, ending a 10-year stint after the Cardinals drafted him in 2011 with the No. 5 overall pick.
And while Peterson approached the Vikings’ Week 8 matchup with his former team like any other, it’s clear the veteran corner had a vendetta he exacted in Minnesota’s 34-26 win over the Cardinals on October 30.
Patrick Peterson Roasts Cardinals After Vikings Wins
Helping the Vikings, who are now 6-1 and off to their best start since 2009, Peterson broke up three passes against Arizona on Sunday and was one the heartbeat of a defense that forced three turnovers.
“I’ve been told a lot of things about me with the other organization. Getting fan mail from the owner saying I can’t tackle, I’m old, I lost it,” Peterson said in a postgame locker room interview. “Someone was sending emails to the owners and I would get them on my chair.”
This one was personal for Patrick Peterson.
“I’ve been told a lot of things about me with the other organization. Getting fan mail from the owner saying that I can’t tackle, I’m old, I lost it.”
It’s safe to say Peterson’s fallout with the Cardinals still doesn’t sit well with the veteran after what he called the organization’s “mind-boggling” tactics toward him. Peterson was even made aware that one fan threatened they wouldn’t renew their season tickets if Peterson was still on the team. He said he remembered asking, “What did I do to deserve this from a fan?”
“His name was John H. Berry, if I’m not mistaken,” Peterson said.
Well, Mr. Berry, you got your wish.
“You see me, you see me,” Peterson added.
Cardinals’ Challenge of Vikings CB Patrick Peterson Backfires
At the age of 32, Peterson has maintained a resolute role in the Vikings secondary and just is now starting to reap the playmaking benefits of teams challenging him.
He has six pass breakups in the past two games after having just three through the first six games of the season.
“All I heard the last two years is that ‘He’s washed up, he’s done.’ I know we’ve still got a second half of the season to go, but I’m just getting started. Like, I’m in my zone right now,” Peterson said after the game, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. I’m in a groove. I’ve been here before, I know how to keep it. And I want to continue being challenged, and continue helping this team win ballgames.”
Peterson, whose absence from the Pro Bowl the past three seasons has likely hurt his reputation and standing with Arizona fans, is ready for a renaissance year with Minnesota becoming a contender in the NFC.
“Because I promise you this, if I get challenged, I will show up on the stat sheet. And that’s why I’ve been missing out on Pro Bowls and All-Pros. I’m here. Twelve years in and I’m still standing strong,” Peterson added.