When cornerback Patrick Peterson became a free agent in March, it didn’t take him long to settle on the Vikings as the team he wanted to play for in 2021.
Peterson agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal and told Peter King of Football Morning in America that the chance to play for head coach Mike Zimmer drove that decision. He cited “what he’s gotten out of” other cornerbacks like Deion Sanders, Leon Hall, and Johnathan Joseph in previous seasons as a particularly appealing part of Zimmer’s history.
Peterson also noted that the Vikings put a lot on their corners and said he’s motivated to show that he’s able to fulfill what’s asked of a top cornerback at the NFL level.
“I want to prove not only to the naysayers but to myself that I can still do it at a very high level,” Peterson said. “I’m very motivated to do that. . . . “I just want to go out there and just show that I still can compete with the best. We got a top-five toughest schedule this year. Got an opportunity to see Davante Adams twice this year. We got Julio Jones and A.J. Brown in Tennessee. We got Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf. The schedule is definitely set up for me.”
A better defense is a must for the Vikings after 2020’s unit disappointed in every aspect. Peterson’s ability to meet his high expectations for himself will be a big part of putting such a group in place.
