The Pittsburgh Steelers' newest addition to the secondary, Patrick Peterson, has always had a reputation for being around the football, whether as a defensive back and getting interceptions, or on special teams blocking field goals. When his Arizona Cardinals hosted Pittsburgh in his rookie season, head coach Mike Tomlin got the better of the eager young Peterson.
Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Steelers' new cornerback addition Patrick Peterson.
Peterson, who comes in on a two-year deal to try and deal with the loss of Cameron Sutton who is off to Detroit, revealed in his introductory press conference that Tomlin pulled one over on him during a field goal try in the Week 7 game back in 2011 getting him to jump in the fourth quarter. It allowed Shaun Suisham to hit a field goal from 42 yards out instead of a 47.
Coach T got him 🤣 @P2 pic.twitter.com/ZmPUsbRjV0
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 16, 2023
Things Lined Up For Peterson to Become A Member of The Steelers
Peterson said he'd had conversations with Tomlin and defensive backs coach Grady Brown about joining the team last offseason, but they couldn't find a fit and so he ended up staying a member of the Minnesota Vikings. In 2023, he wasn't going to pass up the chance to play for Pittsburgh.
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Cam Sutton during warmups against the Buffalo Bills. The loss of Sutton prompted the Steelers to find veteran help in free agency.
"This go around with a different situation losing a key component to their secondary in Cam [Sutton], it felt like they needed some of those attributes of a guy who is a smart physical tough football player," Peterson said. "For me being in the later part of my career, I wanted to be part of a storied franchise and what better franchise would you want to be with than the Pittsburgh Steelers? I wanted to be a part of the pedigree and this identity that Steeler teams bring to the NFL. Always competitive, Coach Tomlin is always going to have his guys in a position to win no matter what the circumstances are."
He said his relationship with Tomlin dates back to before his time in college with the LSU Tigers, but really grew initially in the draft process and in the four times they've crossed paths in the NFL. Most recently in 2021, Peterson registered five tackles as the Vikings handed the visiting Steelers a 36-28 loss.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Steelers YouTube
Patrick Peterson makes it official giving a press conference touching on why he joined the Steelers.
"Watching him from afar, anytime we played there was always tremendous respect between us," Peterson said about his relationship with Tomlin. "You see his coaching style and how much his team talks about him. His sayings. You want to be a part of something like that and you don’t want to miss that on this second go around. I feel like I can provide a lot to whatever team I was going to land on, but I felt like this was the best fit for me just because of what coach [Tomlin] can do for my career as a defensive back."
When asked about his favorite "Tomlinism," the likely future Hall of Famer said he's partial to "It's a big game because we're in it." We all know AFC North games are tough and the Steelers have some other potentially big games on the schedule in 2023. Now it's up to Peterson to show that his work in the offseason helps him to make some big plays in these big games.
So, do you think Peterson will make some big-time plays for Pittsburgh? What did you think of the press conference? Comment below or on our social media.
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