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Despite a first-round exit from the NFL postseason, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson is optimistic about the team’s future and hopes he’ll be a part of it.
A pending free agent, Peterson addressed the upcoming offseason and his desire to stay in Minnesota on the All Things Covered podcast.
“No doubt about it. I would love to be in that purple and gold again and give it a run again,” he said. “It’s just amazing, man. I truly believe, it felt like home to me. It felt like it was a place that I belong.”
An eight-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer, Peterson has maintained he’d like to play for at least four more years and win a ring — a prospect he sees in Minnesota after head coach Kevin O’Connell and general Kwesi Adofo-Mensah won 13 games in their first season with the Vikings.
“I feel like the future is very bright,” Peterson said. “Those guys were able to build and establish their brand right out of the gate. Now they set the standard for themselves.”
Patrick Peterson Addresses Biggest Building Block for Vikings
Peterson’s first two seasons with the Vikings were polar opposites.
In 2021, Minnesota went 6-8 in single-score games, a realistic record considering many of those games could be decided by a coin flip. But in 2022, the Vikings went 11-0 in the regular season in those single-score affairs.
During this season, the Vikings were shown a video of what fans wanted to see from them. Peterson revealed on his podcast that the most common answer.
“Finish,” he said, adding that this year’s team took a massive leap in winning close games. “I feel like every game this year was a complete opposite from the year before. We was able to finish and close out games versus losing those close ball games. That’s a huge positive.”
The culture built in Year 1 under O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah can be credited for the incredible turnaround, with veterans leading the way for the team.
However, those leaders’ futures in Minnesota are questionable with the Vikings needing to clear significant cap space to reinforce the roster.
Patrick Peterson Among League’s Best CBs in 2022
Peterson had a career renaissance this past season that will likely make him a high-priority re-signing for the Vikings.
Peterson played the third-most coverage snaps of any cornerback this season and allowed a 66.8 passer rating when targeted. His 16.1 snaps per reception was No. 1 among starting cornerbacks in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Peterson could garner a much larger contract than the $3.3 million deal he signed last season. Over the Cap valued his 2022 performance to garner a $19.2 million contract. He’s well past his prime years to earn a deal of that magnitude, however, his performance and leadership warrant more than a veteran minimum.
Fellow starters Duke Shelley and Chandon Sullivan are also pending free agents, leaving Cameron Dantzler as the only cornerback with considerable playing experience under contract currently.
All things considered, Peterson appears ready to run it back again.
“I want to continue to play. I feel great. The resume I put up this year has proven that. The body is in great shape, man. The mind is in great shape. As long as my body and mind is willing to go, that’s how long I”m going to go,” he said.