Former Steelers Cornerback Announces Retirement from NFL
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson has announced his retirement from the National Football League.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson has announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 34-year-old spent his final season with the Steelers in 2023.
Peterson will retire as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, who he spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with. He was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU.
The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro joined Pittsburgh on a two-year, $14 million deal in 2023. But his stint with the Steelers was capped to just one season. They released him in 2024 to save the team $6.9 million in salary cap savings.
While Peterson did show signs of slowing down in his final NFL season, he was still able to show off a significant level of versatility that had not been tapped earlier in his career. He started 16 of 17 games and played in 97% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps.
Peterson played 208 snaps as a slot cornerback in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, nearly double his previous career high. He also played 105 snaps of box safety, also near double his previous high mark, and 218 snaps of free safety, despite playing just a handful over his first 12 seasons.
During that span, he racked up 42 tackles (34 solo), two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
Peterson collected most of the accolades that make up a Hall of Fame resume while in Arizona. He was a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade team as one of the most decorated cornerbacks of his time.
He also played two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and 2022, rebounding with five interceptions in 2022, the second-most of his career.
Peterson always hoped to return to the Steelers but that never came to fruition. He finished his career with 652 tackles (571 solo), four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 36 interceptions, 122 passes defensed and two touchdowns.