Patrick Peterson is ready to enter his 14th season in the NFL, but his next team remains unknown as he's still a free agent. Peterson said he'll "definitely be ready" for the beginning of the season on his podcast, All Things Covered.
NFL insider and managing editor of Last Word On Sports, David Latham, names the New Orleans Saints or Kansas City Chiefs as logical next destinations for Peterson. Where he lands in the country is one thing, but another to consider is where he'll land on the field: either at cornerback (his desired spot) or safety (where he should play). Latham feels the latter is more likely (via LWOS):
The sad reality is that, if Patrick Peterson wants to sign as a free agent, he might need to do it as a full-time safety. Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks of his generation, but age comes for us all and the LSU product started to show signs of slowing down over the past few seasons.
While Peterson played almost exclusively at cornerback up until his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, that may have to change if he wants to continue playing into the 2024 season.
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Which Team Is A Better Fit For Peterson?
Saints could use Peterson at safety, while the Chiefs could allow him to play CB
The better fit depends on if you ask the team or Peterson. LWOS had reported that Peterson would like to play cornerback, which makes more sense for the Chiefs than the Saints. Kansas City traded L'Jarius Sneed this offseason, leaving a void opposite of Trent McDuffie:
Looking at the cornerback position, Kansas City believes that Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson can start opposite McDuffie. However, both players are relatively inexperienced and it wouldn’t hurt to add a free agent veteran like Patrick Peterson. The cornerback is not the player he once was, but he can provide some much-needed support in case the two youngsters aren’t up for the added responsibility.
If Peterson wants to play cornerback once again, and these two teams are his options, the Chiefs make all the sense in the world. He could return to the position he wants to play for the defending Super Bowl Champions coming off of a season where they ranked second in points allowed. Peterson would legitimately have a chance to win his first ring while playing on one of the NFL's best defenses.
Maybe the Chiefs are what Peterson desires, but the Saints would be more logical in terms of fit. Peterson will turn 34-years-old on July 11 and has already shown signs of decline over the last few years. In New Orleans, he could play alongside Tyrann Mathieu to shore up the back-end of the Saints secondary.
Tyrann Mathieu remains a solid starter, but someone must step up opposite him. Recently signed Roderic Teamer is an unremarkable journeyman and 2023 fifth-round pick Jordan Howden didn’t do all that much in limited work as a rookie. Dennis Allen must get this team to the playoffs if he wants to keep his job, and signing a free agent like Patrick Peterson to shore up one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster might be the difference in a weak NFC South.
After all, there is a reason why Peterson played mostly safety in the Steel City last year. Cornerback requires much more speed and athleticism than safety, both attributes that begin to falter as a player ages closer to their mid-30s, as Peterson is now.
While it's not as glamorous oa landing spot as Kansas City, Peterson would have more of an impact and be better set up for success in a situation where his age wouldn't show as much. Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks of the 21st century, but he may need to be honest with himself when he signs with his new team of choice.
If worse comes to worst, he could ring up Mathieu, who's played for both the Chiefs and the Saints over the last three years, and ask him which franchise he enjoyed playing for more.
