Veteran Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson announced his return from a six-game suspension Monday morning with a tweet: “GOING TO WORK!!!!”
In May, the NFL suspended Peterson, a three-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl selection, for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Peterson dropped his appeal, losing $3.8 million in salary.
Now that Peterson, 29, is back, the rumor mill is heating up about Peterson’s future with the Cardinals. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that at least three teams had called Arizona to inquire about Peterson’s availability.
Last October, Peterson requested a trade and later apologized for doing so. The Cardinals have said they will not trade him.
“We’re not trading Pat and that’s something we’ve been very consistent with,” general manager Steve Keim said in late September. “When you look at the kind of player Pat is and I think arguably he’s the best corner in the National Football League, all you have to do is say, ‘Does this make our team better or worse?’ I think to lose someone like Pat Peterson would make us worse.”
He is under contract with the Cardinals through the 2020 season, when he will earn $12.05 million.
Until the suspension, Peterson never had missed a start since the Cardinals drafted him in the first round (fifth overall) in 2011. In 128 games, Peterson has registered 387 tackles, 23 interceptions, 76 passes defensed and 12 fumble recoveries.
The Cardinals (2-3-1) play at the New York Giants (2-4) on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
