CB Patrick Peterson last played in the NFL in 2023 as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and after not playing last year, Peterson will announce his retirement on Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Peterson will make the announcement in Arizona and retire as a member of the Cardinals, the team that drafted him fifth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft and where he spent the first 10 years of his career.
Peterson teased the news earlier this week with a video on his Instagram.
Peterson will retire with 36 career interceptions, three first-team All-Pro appearances and eight Pro Bowls. He played for 13 seasons, 10 with Arizona, two with the Minnesota Vikings and one in Pittsburgh.
In his lone season with the Steelers, Peterson’s versatility played a valuable role as the team made a late playoff push. After initially starting the season as a starting cornerback, Peterson moved to safety due to injuries, finishing the year with 42 tackles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions. He had signed a two-year contract prior to the 2023 season, but was a cap casualty when the season ended and didn’t find a new home for the 2024 season.
With a year away from the game, Peterson recently admitted he didn’t have the drive to work out and get ready for another season, a big sign that retirement was likely.
“Probably not,” Peterson said on the NFL Players Second Acts podcast when asked if he would play in 2025 if a team called him. “Because I always said that if I don’t have the desire to work out, like I don’t mind working out, but I don’t have the desire to work out.
“You guys are retired, and you guys know how it is. If you don’t have the desire and you always want to put your best foot forward, there’s no need to put yourself out there.”
It will be official on Monday, when Patrick Peterson will retire with the team that drafted him.
Peterson is a strong candidate to eventually get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was one of the most dominant corners of his generation, and despite never winning a ring, he was a key part of multiple playoff teams in Arizona. He was also an electrifying returner early in his career, returning four punts for a touchdown as a rookie in 2011. He finished his career with 1,816 punt return yards.
While he clearly wasn’t the same player he was early in his career, Peterson was important to Pittsburgh as a mentor to then-rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. He was willing to do whatever it took, including playing a position he never had in his career, to help the team.