Cornerback Patrick Peterson reiterates desire to re

Sep 20, 2023

EAGAN, Minn. -- Despite a tough loss to the New York Giants to open the playoffs, cornerback Patrick Peterson hasn't changed his mind about wanting to re-sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Peterson told the Pioneer Press in November there was "no doubt" he wanted to return to the Vikings when he becomes a free agent in March and that he won't be "trying to go anywhere but Minnesota." He reiterated that this week on the "All Things Covered" podcast he hosts with his cousin Bryant McFadden, a former NFL cornerback.

The Vikings lost 31-24 to the Giants on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, and Peterson was not present for interviews Monday when players cleaned out their lockers. The podcast was posted Thursday, and McFadden said it was taped Wednesday night.

"I would love to be there in that purple and gold again and give it a run again just because I love the community there," Peterson said on the show. "I love the organization. I love the new regime that (the Wilf ownership group has) brought into that building, the trainers, the strength and conditioning staff. It's just amazing. I truly believe it felt like home for me. I felt like it was a place that I belonged. But we all know it's a business."

Peterson, 32, first joined the Vikings on a one-year, $8 million contract in 2021. He re-signed last March on a one-year, $4 million deal after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had taken over for fired general manager Rick Spielman and Kevin O’Connell for fired coach Mike Zimmer.

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Peterson played with Arizona from 2011-21, where he made eight Pro Bowls and was three times named first-team All-Pro. With the Vikings in 2022, Peterson got 10 second-place votes for All-Pro and was ranked as the No. 12 cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

But the game against the Giants did not go well, particularly on defense, for the Vikings, who went 13-4 during the regular season and won the NFC North.

"It was very disappointing to end the season in the Bank the way we did, to have so much high hopes and aspirations for the team," Peterson said on his podcast. "But the good part about all of it is that I had an opportunity to continue to grow some great relationships that got better from the year previously. Just having an opportunity to be in the tournament, you give yourself a fighting chance, and that's all you can ask for, especially at this stage of my career.

"It was definitely a devastating loss to lose to those guys. We just didn't win on first down, gave those guys a lot of third-down-and-shorts. Daniel Jones was looking like Michael Vick a little bit out there."

Jones, the Giants quarterback, threw for 301 yards and ran for 78.

Trailing 31-24, the Vikings’ last drive came to an end on fourth and 8 at the Minnesota 48-yard line with 1:51 left in the game when Kirk Cousins threw a short pass to T.J. Hockenson, who was stopped after a three-yard gain. Cousins told reporters after the game he threw short of the sticks because he was worried about being sacked with Dexter Lawrence bearing down on him.

"Going into that final play, when I saw it, the only thing I could think about, I was like, ‘He must have didn't know what down it was,’ " Peterson said on the podcast. "I haven't heard his explanation about it as of yet. But on the sideline it just took me back because I was just shocked that we threw the ball three yards when we needed eight.

"I really don't know what went into that, how that decision came about, him throwing the ball that short. But as far as (Cousins’) overall performance in that game, I thought he played solid. I thought he was one of the top 10 quarterbacks all year long (in the NFL). He's a guy that you can win with, for sure."

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Although the loss was tough, Peterson overall was pleased with the Vikings’ season.

"Very, very proud with the way that season went for us," he said. "Winning 13 games in a season is extremely hard. That's an accomplishment in itself (and) winning the North, that's one of those boxes that we wanted to check off. … (O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah) have something good going on around there, so we’ll see what the future has to bring."

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